Take Me Home
by Scandinavian Sensation
Summary: AU. Captured after the Sports Festival and held prisoner, a broken and battered Izuku turns up randomly a few weeks after going missing. Exposed to Trigger and beaten senseless, his memory is gone and his body is shattered. The life of a hero is protecting the innocent and helping the hurt... and the students of 1-A are now tasked with healing their wounded and scarred classmate.
1. Midoriya

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boko no Hero Academia.**

 _ **I know it's weird to start another story, but this is something I've been wanting to write, and I have the first few chapters done, actually.**_

 _ **Warning: it's going to be dark.**_

 _ **Here's the premise. Izuku, after the Sports Festival, is captured hostage by a band of underground criminals, after witnessing his display of power at the tournament.**_

 _ **I'm serious, this is going to be dark and graphic. It's meant to capture the disturbing parts of heroics and I'm determined to make this an emotional story, so be ready.**_

 _ **Romance may be a fleeting mention, but don't expect it to play a large role.**_

* * *

 _Everything hurt_.

He wasn't sure where he was- not even the country name came to mind when he tried to think. Every time the pain waned long enough for his higher thoughts to return, he was met with frustration and inevitable nothingness, fueling the pain to make another trip around. It seemed the angrier he got, the more the pain returned, and it came back with a vengeance.

He tried to think- _do anything_ \- but each time, he was met with the same infuriating fate: he couldn't remember anything.

The last... 4 days? Truth be told, he wasn't even sure how long he'd been wandering the streets, looking helplessly ragged but no less concerned for his appearance. Not once had he gazed upon his disheveled appearance, and as he scampered from alley to alley, he wasn't particularly sure if he was going to look at himself, either.

The moon setting and the sun rising had become a drawl, common, yet welcomed. The days of which he'd been locked away were not soon forgotten, nor were the nights of anguish and torture, where the only thing the young man could cling to was the sight of the night sky for just a fleeting glimpse as he was moved from chamber to cell. The roundness to the crescent shape of the moon was the only thing that looked upon his broken form with even a glimmer of sympathy- and he'd come to hold that sight as the only thing he could think of.

Now, freely able to gaze upon its magnificent pearl glow, he found nothing but solace in its sight, even if the pain came rebounding back, throbbing through his brain, down to his toes. His body would heat up in kind, the burning sensation just under his skin caused him to groan and grunt, unable to cool the rising simmering sensation, but every so often, the moon would smile sadly upon his agony and send a welcomed breeze to brush through his hair and temporarily diminish his aching.

Those were the moments he'd try to think, only to be met with a viscous cycle that had no end in place. He growled to himself, clamping his hands in his hand and clenching his head between his palms. Through the action came more pain, and through the pain, came more anger...

But there was no moon to help him salvage his mind.

Instead, the burning sun glared upon the land, casting its proud golden rays down on the streets below, only a few specific places shielded from its gaze. The young man fell into a ball, ignoring the pang that went through his side as he struck the pavement with enough force to jar his aching organs. A feeble, yet agonizing groan escaped his lips and echoed in the shadowed alley he'd taken refuge in.

Once upon a time, he might've even slept here, but the only times he found the blissful state of rest was when his body had taken enough and fell the clutches of unconsciousness.

"I knew you were an idiot, but seriously? You're going to _explore_ what made the death-like noise?"

The young man stiffened; he had heard the voice clear as day.

Another one came just after. "C'mon; we're _heroes_. We can at least try to help people, yeah?"

"We're not heroes yet... and you're not even wearing your costume, so how are you going to aim if we get attacked?"

 _Aim? Costume? Heroes?_

It all sounded so... familiar... yet distant, too. What were... _who_ were the heroes? Where were they going? They kept talking, but their voices were also growing in strength... were they coming toward him? The groan he'd made had been admittedly loud... and perhaps they were seeking out the source. But if they were looking... that would mean they'd find him...

"Don't worry; I'll just shock tackle them and we'll be fine!"

"Yeah... really reassuring."

 _Tackle?!_ They were coming to hurt him!

Out of pure instinct, somewhere within his brain, a predatory growl escaped his lips and sounded through the alley, halting the two approaching 'heroes'. The young man couldn't see them- he'd fallen prone behind a dumpster - but he forced his injury-riddled body to stand. The scream of his muscles was silenced by the roar of adrenaline flowing throughout him, and he dropped low into a combative stance. He peeked around the corner of the dirty dumpster, spying out two young teenagers, now on-guard and looking around frantically for the noise they'd heard.

"Did you...?"

"Yeah. It was your idea to come in here, Kaminari. If we die, I'll beat you in the afterlife."

There was a tense moment of silence from all three, before...

"There. I hear his heartbeat... it's... erratic. He's terrified..."

 _They knew where he was! He had to strike!_

Without another moment's though, the young, battered and bruised teen rushed around the corner with blistering speed, and drew his fist back to strike down his opposition. What he didn't count on, was his leg to give out underneath of him just before making contact. The days spent running and hiding had taken their toll: he had no energy left to fight.

The boy, adorned with yellow hair, yelped and instinctively sent a wave of electricity streaming forward in a dangerous double arc. The first arc danced up along the building wall, sending pieces of stone and brick raining down as it ripped the exterior of the hard surface to shreds. The second, however, made direct contact with the falling teen and sent him into a convulsion-like state, unable to stop shaking and twitching.

"Holy shit, Denki, stop!"

The attack, as fast as it had began, ended, and the young man felt the lingering effects still in his body as his whole body felt heavy and immobile. There was a tingling that stretched through his chest, down to his toes, but oddly enough... the rifling pain he'd felt since the beginning of his journey... was gone. Temporarily, perhaps, but nonetheless, it was gone.

"I-I-I..."

"M-Midoriya...?"

 _No pain... meant no problem fighting! He could still escape!_

Though the movement was delayed, he managed to push his chest up and slide his knees underneath his body, before rising into a kneeling position. Despite the lack of pain, there was no doubt in the teen's abused mind that he was nearly incapable of winning this fight; he'd sustained too much damage and could barely move.

"M-Midoriya, it's us!"

 _Midoriya? Who...?_

The teen looked up, glaring heavily at his two assailants with both venom and... fear?

"Denki he... oh my God..."

"D-don't you... recognize us...?" The yellow-haired boy lost the aura of raging yellow electricity that had previously been dancing along his body, and now, he simply looked terrified, yet, undeniably relieved. His eyes, no longer filled with the instinctive fight-or-flight, were wide, but almost welcoming. The teen felt the quietest instinct within telling him to just respond: say something.

But yet, that instinct was not heard underneath the thousands of other desires, which included running or fighting as the two most desired outcomes.

The girl next to the yellow-haired teen was appalled, it seemed. She covered her mouth and her eyes were widened and fearful, but they kept darting from place to place on the teen's body. Fear, it seemed, didn't come naturally to her, because the expression looked... out of place, in his opinion.

Still: he had to escape.

"G-go... away..."

With the simple two words, the two teens were freed from the stasis that held them in place, as the yellow-haired teen rushed over to Midoriya's body, but refrained from touching him. The other teenager whipped out something and put it to her ear, talking frantically to herself, consistently repeating, "come on... come _on_..."

"Dude... what the hell happened to you...?" Denki whispered, which was just loud enough so that Midoriya could hear him. Still, even with the question, he had no answer.

"D-don't..." Midoriya mumbled quietly, falling flat on his chest, unable to hold himself up any longer. "D-don't hurt m-me..."

"Shit!" the girl muttered angrily, quickly pulling the device from her ear and pushing on it frantically, before putting it right back to her ear. "Of all the times...!"

While his attention had been drawn to the girl, he wasn't ignoring the yellow-haired electricity-user to his left, keeping a close eye on him. Though there was little he could do, Midoriya knew that if push came to shove, he'd be able to fight _somehow_ , and he'd be able to escape. The only thing he needed was the tingling in his body to abstain, and then he'd be able to force his way out of this situation.

"You don't recognize me, do you Izuku?"

Midoriya didn't answer. He didn't need to.

"Finally!" The girl shouted, causing Izuku's fragile gaze to snap to her relieved form. "Mr. Aizawa...! W-we found Midoriya!"

 _Found...? They'd... had they found him?_

 _Wait._

 _Found... they... they were here to take him back!_

 _They were going to take him back! They were going to hurt him!_

"N-no... NO!" Izuku suddenly began to flail, forcing Denki to take a step back in surprise and a jolt of electricity to jump from his body, though Izuku didn't notice. His sight grew dim, tinted by blackness as a familiar warmth spread through his body and rushed to his joints. Against all the pain he felt, he suddenly found himself standing and glaring defiantly at the two teenagers, sent to capture him. "I WON'T GO BACK! YOU CAN'T HURT ME!"

"Hurry, Mr. Aizawa! He's not... he's not well!"

As the girl put the phone away, the boy put his hands up defensively, and spoke slowly and deliberately. "Listen, Midoriya. We're not here to hurt you. We're worried about you... we're here to take you home. To your mother."

 _Mother? Who...? He had no mother, right? That's... that's what they'd told him?_

 _He had no home, either, right? Home... home was not the prison... home was not where he was hurt!_

"I... YOU CAN'T HURT ME!"

Whether from rage, fear, adrenaline or something else, it didn't matter as Izuku lashed out by pumping his fist forward. A torrent shockwave rushed through the alley following his punch, causing the two teens to shield their eyes and brace their bodies against the sudden onslaught of power that could only be known as One-For-All.

"Th-this is...!" The girl grunted out as she tried to counter the force of the punch with supersonic pulses of sound.

Denki, on the other hand, was almost helpless, as he desperately pressed his body against the side of the alley in order to avoid being sent flying like a toy in a tornado. He heard the screams of civilians behind him as people were subjugated to Izuku's monstrous power, forcing him to make up his mind on what he had to do.

"I'm sorry, buddy!" Denki yelled over the wind, even as it began to die down. "Shock Disc!"

A ball of yellow static came rushing at Izuku, and even before he'd had time to pump the power he felt into his legs, he was struck by the strange orb, sending a massive surge of electricity through his body, forcing him to fall helplessly.

This time, however, he didn't retain consciousness.


	2. Asui

**Disclaimer: I do not own Boku no Hero Academia.**

 _Well, well, well! I've returned! Sorry for my absence, I recently got a job in the medical field and my learning curve has been rather steep. Not to mention a typical shift is about 12 hours, and I don't know about you guys, but going to school and working 12 hours a night is pretty rough on the body. Thankfully, hockey season isn't in, so I haven't had to suit up, too. Otherwise, I might be on the receiving end of some care for a change._

 _Focusing on the story, there seems to be a lot of attention for this story, and that's awesome! We'll be jumping into explanations here, and my primary focus for this story is to really involve a lot of the characters and give them some time to shine. Of course, certain characters will get more screen-time, but don't expect the focus to be all Bakugou and Todoroki, or all Uraraka. Gotta shake it up._

 _Remember, this is a darker story and this will definitely have some emotion to it, so beware if you're not ready._

 _Enjoy chapter 2!_

* * *

Tsuyu had been shopping at the local market when she'd gotten the call.

It was a Saturday, and that meant class was out- and after the semester they'd been having, there wasn't a single student in Class 1-A that wasn't relieved to another weekend to simply breathe. Lately, there'd been a thick tension in the room, one that seemingly smothered the interactions between classmates, and even choked the energy that was normally present. A few of the less observant students just chalked it up to the type of first year the class had experienced.

Those that paid attention to everything knew better. _Tsuyu_ knew better.

The Villain Invasion at the USJ was what added the weight to everyone's back, and it was the first time any of the students had been exposed to the reality that superheroes lived in. It was one thing to see them, but another to actually be in their shoes, and face the same enemies that they stopped on a daily basis. For some, it showed they weren't ready yet.

If Asui were as bold as she was honest, she might have told Mineta that he might be at the wrong school. His quirk was helpful, and his use of it was good, but overall, his demeanor and overall capabilities in combative situations, both physical and mental, were suffocating. If it hadn't been for Midoriya...

She wouldn't have survived.

Which brought her to where she noticed the void of emotion: Midoriya's disappearance.

Honestly, it surprised her that a few of her classmates played dumb about it. Mineta, for one, began to freak out incessantly when it was revealed he was missing, three days after he was mysteriously absent. Of course, this did absolutely nothing to help the situation, and it took Aizawa having to use his restraints to silence those that were being overly vocal about the situation. But once it had settled in, certain people such as Mineta pretended nothing happened, opting to live in their fantasy that everything was okay. Hagakure was overly optimistic, though, Tsuyu hardly held that against her. It was natural to be positive- Midoriya was strong.

Kirishima kept up a positive facade, but when no one was looking, she could see his skin hardening and his jaw clench, as he was forced to sit through lectures. She knew he wanted- no, _needed,_ to go out and look for Izuku. Kaminari, to his credit, was always a bit of a spaz and often lost his cool in tense situations... but he, too, was dead-set on finding his missing classmate, and she'd overheard him talking to Jirou about searching places after school. Even though she though he was a bit of a scatterbrain, and continuously told him his plan would never work, she would typically be found accompanying him away from the school-grounds, her ear jacks actively plugging into nearby structures to listen for a certain someone's voice.

Which brought up resident asshole, Bakugou. He, for one, was rather silent about the whole thing, and everyone knew better than to press on his buttons, not knowing what was boiling beneath the surface. It was a week that had passed, before Uraraka snapped at him and completely tore him apart with her words of scorn. Nobody exactly expected it; although she'd been a mess between crying and fuming, unable to do much of anything in her predicament. To everyone's surprise, he didn't lash back... with his explosives, that is. He simply let her scream and yell, before challenging her into a fight, where he eventually put her down, with some difficulty.

Though Asui wouldn't admit it aloud to him, she saw through his guise, and knew his actual intention was to get her to simmer down and release the pent up anger and emotion. While there were other ways of doing it, it seemed to do the trick, and Bakugou himself seemed a little looser after blowing off some steam, too. Iida, to his credit, was much more composed, though he was often found scouting the city during his time off, only to come up empty handed every time. Still, no one could ignore the close eye Aizawa kept on the engine-hero, knowing his honorable intentions could be masked by his search for vengeance, as his gaze turned dark whenever he thought no one was watching.

Todoroki did little, though he kept a close ear on his father's agency lines, hoping someone would anonymously report some sort of helpful tidbit that could be used to track down the resident ball of timid energy.

Everyone else did what they could, but in the end, limitations were just not meant to be overcome. Until now.

Aizawa, stern and strict as he could be, was also an understanding man. He knew his students had large hearts, and Tsuyu recognized his dedication for his students back at the SJW when the Villain Invasion occurred. Despite his iron-clad facade, he was actually quite sympathetic, and he gave his students plenty of wiggle room to operate under then radar, despite the fact that they weren't technically allowed to join in on hero-based search parties. He'd allowed them the right to search, but _not_ the right to a combative situation, and demanded should the event arise, they were only to protect themselves, and they needed to alert a faculty member or nearby hero as soon as possible.

And with his emergency number saved in her phone, Tsuyu began her limited searches, often taking her siblings to the park to run about, where she'd keep a sharp eye out for any shady behavior that might somehow be linked back to her missing friend. Of course, it was a far-stretch in her imagination to find anyone, and she refused to get her hopes up, but that didn't stop her from trying at the very least.

The second her phone lit up with an emergency mass text message, Asui was dropping the grocery list and heading to the UA Nursery as fast as she could humanly move.

Her phone, still clutched in her hand, displayed the simple message: _'He's been found. Now at UA.'_

* * *

Arriving at UA, Tsuyu was surprised to see that a good majority of the class was already congregated outside of one of the nursery rooms, though the door was firmly closed, and there weren't any faculty members in sight. A few of her classmates were mumbling softly to one another, exchanging worried looks and hypothesizing what had happened. Uraraka was sitting closest to the door, her hands folded tightly in her lap, and she was looked down, refusing to contribute to any conversation. It didn't take a genius to see the fear plastered on her face, although, there was determination that glinted in her down-turned eyes, as she likely tried to think positive.

Iida, strangely enough, wasn't present yet, even with his engine quirk. Bakugou and Todoroki were also missing, though, that didn't surprise Tsuyu as much. While Bakugou had his moments of not being a complete jerk, he still was centered on the fact that _he_ was superior to everyone, and because of that, she wasn't really sure if he actually cared about Midoriya, despite his occasional good deed. Todoroki, on the other hand, was likely training at home, or somewhere else... the location being beyond Tsuyu's knowledge. He kept to himself far too much to be someone she kept tabs on.

Mineta, too, was missing, though his reason _couldn't_ be good.

Ashido, Kirishima, Tokoyami, Yaoyorozu, Hagakure, Ojiro, Sero and Shoji were all standing around, with Ashido taking notice of Tsuyu's arrival. The pink girl offered a weak smile and beckoned the frog-like girl over, to which she obliged.

"Tsuyu, you made it!" Mina said, a bit too happily for anyone else's taste as they grimaced. It wasn't that anyone could despise her peppy-state... there was just so much tension in the air, it could be cut with a knife. Mina's smile, however, faded and her voice lost its step as she glanced toward the still-closed door. "Y-you haven't missed anything, yet. We've all gotten here pretty recently."

Shoji, a man of few words, spoke quietly. "So far, no one's said anything. I was the first here that I know of."

"Has anyone seen Mr. Aizawa?" Tsuyu asked.

Nobody spoke up, and Tsuyu sighed; it seemed the darkness that clouded their knowledge would continue for a little longer.

The group continued to make small talk, hoping to get their minds from the matter at hand, as a few more classmates arrived, Aoyama and Sato showing up just a few minutes after Asui, although Aoyama's overly enthusiastic fascination for sparkling was what ended up cutting from the conversation, if only for a little bit until he relinquished his self-centered viewpoint. Nobody had anything against the blond-haired teen... he just needed to ease off the narcissism for a little.

When the door opened, everyone's voices went silent, and all eyes turned toward the doorway. From the room emerged Kaminari and Jirou, though their looks were far from focused on their classmates in front of them. Kaminari's usually vibrant eyes were dulled, and he looked like he'd seen a ghost. His blank look was almost as similar as the look he would give when he'd reached his quirk's upper limits, although he still typically retained spacial awareness. Here... he was just moving forward without a single thought.

Jirou, on the other hand, was biting her lip, and refused to meet the gaze of anyone. Her ear jacks hung from her ear lobes, completely emotionless and dull, as if her energy had been sucked from her body. From a glance, there were even some unshed tears that shone brightly in her eyes, although knowing the punk-rock sound quirk-user, they might not fall until she was away from everyone.

Nobody had the courage to ask what was inside the room. Thankfully, no one needed to, as the door opened again, and from inside, emerged Mr. Aizawa. Judging from the dark bags under his eyes, and the tired look in his typically dry eyes, Tsuyu knew the news was far from good.

"Alright; listen up... I'm only going to say this once, so listen closely. I don't want any questions until I'm done." He paused, allowing everyone time to digest the rules. "We have found Midoriya."

A collective sharp intake of breath followed those words, and judging from the daring look on Aizawa's face, he was waiting for someone to break his rules. But, as it stood, no one dared speak, and so, he continued.

"He is in critical condition. As for how bad... he will live. Once we know more, we'll inform you at his consent, but for now, all you need to know is that he is going to survive." Once more, a collective noise rippled through the room, this time, it was a round of sighs, all in relief. Uraraka looked as if her world had been turned right-side up once again, and plenty of the students looked a million times happier. But, Aizawa wasn't finished yet.

"However, he isn't in good shape. He's malnourished, dehydrated, fatigued... and non-coherant." Aizawa's eyes darkened as he spoke. Tsuyu, with her observant eyes, noticed the slight slouch in his posture as he spoke, and how he almost seemed... sad. How bad, she wondered, was his mind that he couldn't recognize anything? Aizawa continued, "he doesn't recognize anyone, right now. We don't know if this is permanent. He is suffering from memory loss... amnesia, as it were."

He let out a sigh. "We have no idea when, or _if,_ he'll get his memory back. So for now, we're keeping visitors to a minimum. For now, we're not letting him have any, with the exception of Kaminari and Jirou."

"What?! W-why?!" Despite the dangerous glare Aizawa shot Kirishima, the battle-loving red-head refused to back down, looking at his teacher with shock and surprise. "We all care about Midoriya! Why can't we see him?"

Tsuyu saw the mulling look in her teacher's face as he thought about punished the red-head, but as his expression lightened ever-so briefly, she realized he had an excellent point, even if it was going against Aizawa's only rule. He sighed, and stuffed his hands in his pockets.

"Because those two are the ones that found him. They had to subdue him by force... and we're trying to convince him nobody is around to hurt him. Introducing too many people will only scare him, and that's no way to assist anyone. Part of being a hero is knowing what is appropriate... and what is not." Aizawa's look turned hard again. "Interrupting your superiors is _not_."

Kirishima winced. "S-sorry, sir."

He continued on, as if nothing happened. "We'll let you know when you can visit... but right now, he's not well, and because of that, we're keeping visitors out. Now then... I need to get some juice..."

A clear path was made for their shaggy-haired teacher as he calmly walked through his students, and around the corner, disappearing from site. Everyone's breath was held, waiting for him to pop back around, but after a moment, and no reappearance, everyone turned and swarmed Kaminari and Jirou.

"W-what happened?!" Hagakure nearly shouted.

"Are you all alright?" Sero asked.

"Kaminari." The yellowed haired teen looked up at Kirshima's stern voice. "What happened?"

"H-he... he was hurt. So hurt..." Kaminari mumbled. "He tried to fight, but he couldn't even move. And... I hurt him, more..."

"Stop." Jirou suddenly demanded, her voice wavering with the weight of misery hanging on her words. "You didn't know."

"B-but I..."

Once again, he was cut off by the earjack hero. "I would've done it if you hadn't. Neither of us... k-knew."

Tsuyu could see the raw emotions swimming in Kyoka's eyes, something she rarely saw out of the typically stoic teenager. Whilst she had her spurts of playfulness or cynical sarcasm, she was never... like this... even after the Villain's Invasion, she was relatively stable. Now, however, she was... _broken_ for lack of a better word.

It took all the frog-girl's strength to remain straight-faced.

Kaminari took a deep, shaky breath, looked everyone in the eye at least once, and spoke once more. "His eyes were so scared... like, he was afraid we'd kill him or somethin'. But that's not the worst part. H-he..."

Jirou stepped in when Kaminari couldn't finish. "He didn't know who we were. And when he finally stopped fighting us, all we could see was the look of someone... w-who'd been..."

"...tortured..." Kaminari whispered, though he may have well yelled it with how quiet the hallway was.

 _He couldn't have been tortured..._ _it was impossible_ , Tsuyu wanted to say. But yet... deep down, she knew it was a very possible outcome. Heroes were kidnapped, it happened from time to time, and when it did, it was typically never good. Those that went missing would always turn up... it was whether or not they appeared alive that was a toss-up.

To think that sweet, innocent, plain-looking Midoriya had been the one exposed to such heinous acts... she was fuming with rage and was tempted to search for the people that did this and give them the beating they deserved.

 _But she couldn't._

Not only was she too young... not only was she not yet a hero... not only did she not know who did this, let alone where they were hiding...

 _But she wasn't strong enough_.

"F-fucking scum..." Kirishima shook with rage as his head hung, his fist clenched tightly and his quirk reinforcing his skin. Asui couldn't agree more with his statement, feeling her typically reserved temper boil at the thought of someone even _touching_ her friend, let alone striking him. He was hardly a romantic interest, but she'd lie to no one when she'd tell them she'd fight anyone on his behalf- simply because, she knew that he'd do the same if he needed to.

His willingness to take on the monstrosity that attacked her without hesitance, even after the man had caused Mr. Aizawa's elbow to rot away, played fresh in her mind as she digested the steep words that her two classmates spoke solemnly. She cast a sideways glance toward the door that separated the injured and scared Izuku from her and the rest of the class, and couldn't decide if she was thankful for its presence, or if she should loathe its existence. In all honesty... she wasn't sure if she could face the her plain-looking friend with that state he was supposedly in.

Seeing him physically damaged was nothing new- she'd been in the room after Izuku fought with Todoroki in the Sports Festival, which now seemed so long ago. But seeing him mentally broken... she wasn't sure if she could do that.

Her heart almost skipped a beat as she recalled the last time she'd seen him was at the Sports Festival award ceremony... after the school had given the student's a few days to rest and recuperate, he'd gone missing... and just like that, the whole ordeal had begun. The last time she'd seen him... he was smiling brightly, soaking up the experience and limelight that came with such a prestigious event, tears shimmering happily in his eyes. His eyes... his eyes were so full of life and energy, it had been hard to ignore his infectious joy that seemed to leak from his body like water from a cracked cup.

Now, though... she swallowed thickly, trying to ignore the budding negative thoughts in her mind.

Well, now they might never see that joy again.

And she wasn't sure if there was a way to prepare herself for that.


	3. Chiyo

**Disclaimer: Yo, I can't even speak Japanese, why would I be able to claim ownership? Even so, I'll admit, I don't own Boku no Hero Academia.**

 _With chapter 2 in the books, I had a question that asked something along the lines of how the series was to proceed if Izuku never saved Iida from Stain, etc. Good question: but also, remember, this is AU, meaning, Alternate Universe. In this Universe, Iida didn't run into Stain, as it'll be explained. However, this review was useful in having me recognize I need to open up the background a bit more, and give light to things happening outside of the world._

 _So, with that in mind, this chapter is going to focus on a few fronts. And this chapter will feature... Recovery Girl!_

 _If you guys want, leave a review with who's POV you'd like to see, and I'll see about trying to write from a third-person, but focus on their thoughts, much like how Tsuyu's chapter was. Certain characters may be denied, such as class 1-B or something, but if you want it, who knows, maybe I'll find a way to incorporate them in._

 _Thanks everyone!_

* * *

It had been two days since Izuku Midoriya had been found, brought to UA, and been treated for his injuries.

When Izuku had first come in, Recovery Girl was almost certain he was going to be impossible to heal. Her quirk, Recovery, relied on a person's stamina and own healing abilities, in order to heal the recipient. When her patient had first been brought in, he was unconscious, and the two students who'd came in with him, stated he was completely uncooperative when they were trying to talk to him, which meant Recovery Girl wasn't sure if she was going to be able to heal him to his full capacity.

Furthermore, she wasn't even sure if she _should_ restore him to full-strength. From the sound of it, his mind was too far gone, and he would be a danger to himself and everyone around him, should he have his full power restored. She hated seeing children hurt, but this was the one time where she was actually reluctant to heal someone.

In an effort to understand what to do, she'd uncharacteristically reached out to All Might for his opinion. While the man was an excellent hero, and the most knowledgeable about One-For-All, he had never displayed the same ability in forethought as he did in heroics. Still, if there was anyone that could help restrain the young, wounded hero, it was going to be the man who gave him his power in the first place.

All Might's advice was simple: _"heal Young Midoriya."_

She shouldn't have been surprised. Most likely, he felt guilty for his young protégée's kidnapping, and the aging hero couldn't bear the thought of his disciple wearing the wounds of his own failure to protect him. She couldn't blame his hasty decision, though she did wish he would put a little more thought into things. Outside of battle, his ability to break down situations was beyond subpar, and for that, she typically avoided going to him for crucial decisions.

Still, she respected his wish, and thus, she'd begun administering small healing sessions with the unconscious hero in-training.

Thankfully, he hadn't returned to consciousness, and she hadn't had to cross that bridge of restraining him... _yet_.

All Might had been more than unwilling to come into the room, and it went back to his feeling of failure, as Recovery Girl would guess. She felt her own levels of guilt creep up as she slowly took away the boy's pain, and she couldn't imagine how much weight the World's Number One hero was feeling right now, as the only thing he truly had, was laying, beaten and broken, in a medical bed, with no telling how he was faring beneath the closed eyelids.

"Shuuzenji." Recovery Girl put her thoughts on hold as the steady, monotonous voice of her colleague broke through her station of thoughts. "How is he coping?"

Recovery Girl, or Chiyo Shuuzenji as she was called outside the field, snorted, and adjusted her glasses. "Which one? The boy, or his teacher?"

Aizawa exhaled heavily, prompting Shuuzenji to turn around and face him. He looked _tired_.

His eyes, typically dried out from his quirk, was darkened by lack of sleep, and they looked as if they were barely staying open. Dark bags hid under his eyes, and his scar from his fight at the USJ seemed so much more ominous with the paleness his skin held. Recovery Girl narrowed her eyes as she quickly examined the man in front of her.

"Are you sleeping enough?"

Aizawa didn't even look up as he approached Izuku's bed. "Are any of us?"

Chiyo had no response, so she remained quiet, and let the underground hero look over her patient. The bruising that covered his body had taken a less ominous appearance, more than likely thanks to the quick and few healing sessions that he'd been able to tolerate without incident.

She'd been able to restore actual structure to his bones, and even knit some of the muscles back together, although his arms were far from healed. His legs had been in bad shape, but only because he'd broken them, and forced his body to keep moving. His arms, however, were beyond shattered. It was only because of their initial structure that the limbs had been able to maintain any sense of structural integrity.

"Has the blood work returned?" Aizawa asked quietly.

"Yes," Shuuzenji said, quietly in turn. She mentally prepared herself for what she had to say, and the response she'd likely get. "He was exposed to Trigger."

Aizawa's eyes shot up, and a look of disbelief flashed across his face, before he settled back into his typical, stoic appearance. Still, she'd seen it on his face- he knew exactly what that meant.

"Trigger, huh?" Aizawa gently brushed his fingertips along Izuku's bandages, seeing if he would elicit a response from the unconscious teen. To Recovery Girl's relief (and slight disappointment), he did not. "That's not a typical kidnapping, then. These guys weren't just trying to kidnap for ransom. They had something planned... and it involved Midoriya."

He spoke again. "Undeniably, they wanted something."

Recovery Girl picked up her cane, and gently pushed her desk with it, allowing her chair to roll toward the bed. Oddly enough, her quirk couldn't heal herself, and because of that, her ability to walk without pain had deteriorated throughout the years. For years, she'd felt powerless as she became a liability in the field, unable to avoid the attacks that would rain down on the scene from larger scale villain organizations, until she'd come to realize it was time for her to operate behind the scenes.

Now, she once again felt powerless, only this time, it had nothing to do with her placement.

"What that something is, I can't fathom. Unless they simply wanted to _break_ him, which they seemingly succeeded in," Recovery Girl hissed. She ignored the fleeting glance Aizawa gave her, as brief as it was. "What else could he possibly have to offer?"

Silently, Recovery Girl hid her suspicion about One-For-All. Aizawa hadn't been entrusted with that information, mostly due to the chasm of dislike that separated All Might and himself, which stemmed from their outlooks on heroics. Thus, he didn't know the truth behind Midoriya's quirk, nor did he know about the mechanics of it, such as its ability to be passed from user to user.

The knowledge of that feature was _extremely_ limited. Almost nobody knew about that feature, even in the small circle of people that knew about All-For-One as a whole. If Izuku had been kidnapped in an attempt for him to give up that power, it spelled out terrible things for both himself, and All Might. While Shuuzenji always nagged on the World's Top Hero to reveal his status for what it was, the one thing she immediately agreed on with him, was the knowledge that it could be passed on.

Villains from all over the _world_ would come to try and get their hands on it, by whatever means necessary. Izuku, and any other wielder, would never be left in peace, and they'd undoubtedly be hunted down until their last days.

"His immense power," Aizawa said, and for a split second, Recovery Girl froze in place, thinking the Erasure-hero had somehow discerned the truth behind Izuku's power. As it were, however, Aizawa continued. "He displayed terrifying strength during the Sports Festival, and for any villain watching, that strength could be used to their advantage. They likely beat him in an attempt to cause him to become loyal to them... and when he denied, they were left with no other option."

Recovery Girl internally sighed as she realized Aizawa was still ignorant to the truth behind One-For-All, however, she didn't have the time to display her relief, as the next burning question came to mind. "Do you believe the Trigger was an attempt to discover if it was an actual serum?"

If they'd bought the drug in the underground market... there was no telling if the dosage they got was sufficient enough to be used in the midst of a battle. With no other way to test it, it was completely possible that they'd used the drug on Izuku to simply test whether or not it was the real-deal, so to speak.

In a sense... he was a lab rat for their disgusting curiosity.

"That," Aizawa said quietly. "Or they used it to discover what his upper limits were. His strength... could it have been enhanced even further?"

Personal gain.

That's what everything came down to, in the end. Chiyo Shuuzenji's hands clenched firmly around her cane. It hadn't been the boy's fault he was given the chance to become the hero he'd always dreamt of. It hadn't been his fault he had the traits that made him a warrior, along with a caring and selfless individual. He hadn't anticipated that, by fighting so fiercely in the tournament, he'd be kidnapped so that a bunch of lowlife criminals could test their new _toy_ on him!

His exposure and kidnapping... it'd been a freak accident... one that could've happened to any prospective student-hero. To any hero trying their hardest to stand out for the crowd.

This time, it just happened to be Izuku Midoriya.

"I don't think so," Recovery Girl said at least, pushing the anger and rage to the side as she addressed the topic at hand. "His quirk allows for his body to use its absolute peak power. The human brain typically restrains that potential, because it would break our bones and tear our muscles... as you've already witnessed. Perhaps these villains didn't know that, and they were just lowlife grunts who happened to stumble upon something that'll get them their 'big score'... but even then, I don't think that's what happened."

"Shuuzenji... what is his quirk, exactly?"

Recovery Girl gave no outward indication that she was worried, but internally, she was already formulating an elaborate ruse. Whilst she disagreed with All Might's decision to hide his identity, and his quirk, she knew it wasn't her place to reveal anything, no matter how much she disagreed. Part of medicine was knowing what confidentiality meant, and how that applied to each situation.

This was no different.

"It's hard to say; I haven't asked him much, aside from what I just mentioned. It seems to be a strength-amplification quirk... and, as I said, it unlocks the hidden potential that we're limited from, due to the repercussions of the power. Simply, this boy is just going to need to train to use that power to a greater extent so he can limit those injuries."

It was difficult to tell if Aizawa bought the lie outright, if he took bits and pieces and truth and marked the rest as a fib, or if he simply thought the entire explanation was a huge lie. His face was passive, and his eyes unreadable, but after a moment passed, he simply nodded, and turned his attention back to his student.

"I see..."

A gentle rap on the door immediately pulled both UA faculty members attention to the noise, and both prepared for the spiel they'd need to give the student that was likely waiting on the other side, hoping to see their injured school mate.

Recovery Girl got off her chair and walked over to the door, and opened it just enough to peek through the crack. To her immense surprise, she was met with a tan suit attached to an immense man. His face, wearing a proud smile, seemed to hint at the anxiety he was likely feeling as he shifted his somewhat timid gaze from the door, to the woman in front of him.

"I am here!" He said loudly, but overly so as to disturb the slumbering Izuku. He then dropped his regal facade, and timidly asked, "May I come in?"

Chiyo Shuuzenji knew better than to deny the mentor his request, and she opened the door wide enough so that the mountain of a man could slip inside. Whilst it was hard to believe, he was actually quite limber, and with that, he was very agile, which kept him from accidentally knocking things over as he entered tight confines.

His face displayed a hint of fear mixed with worry as he saw the unconscious Midoriya, but the smile remained plastered on his face, defying the truth he felt in that moment.

"Aizawa! You're here, too?" All Might asked, being sure to keep his voice down. If it had been a simpler injury, he might not have been so conscious about his level of volume, and he'd accept the smack that the diminutive nurse would be sure to give him, but she couldn't help but appreciate his awareness for the situation. It was... refreshing.

Aizawa nodded mutely, his eyes lazily rolling over to look at the new visitor. "Of course; he's my student, too. And, while he has a knack for breaking himself... this wasn't his fault, and I'd like to see him well again."

There was a look of understanding that passed between the two radically different heroes; the connection subtle, but the electricity between their gaze was intense. But for once, Recovery Girl watched as compassion passed between their locked stares, and she saw the tiniest of nods, before Aizawa closed his eyes and stuffed his hands in his pocket, before stepping away from the bed.

"I gotta go tend to some homeroom papers; be sure he stays well in my absence, All Might." It was less of a demand, and more of a hope, though one that didn't know Shota Aizawa might say that he didn't do things such as 'hope'.

However, the message was loud and clear to All Might, as he put two fingers to his forehead, and saluted, his ever-common grin growing large at the task at hand. "I shall! He'll be up and running in no time!"

"He most certainly will _not_ be running if I have any say!" Recovery Girl butted in. Honestly, _where_ in the world did All Might get such delusional fantasies from?

Aizawa didn't respond. He simply walked from the room and made sure the door was closed behind him before leaving. As soon as the door clicked shut, a puff of smoke escaped All Might's body, and the once muscular hero was replaced by a frail, bony man with blood that leaked from his mouth. His eyes were much more sunken, but they still held the same shine that one could see in All Might's.

"How is he, Shuuzenji?"

It was remarkable how similar Toshinori and Shota were, Recovery Girl mused. Despite their radical differences in both personal operation and outlook, they shared such similar beliefs in heroics as an act, and their care for their students was so obvious, no matter how they tried to hide it - though, in All Might's case, he hardly tried to hide it. Especially when it came to Izuku.

"He's progressing, which is more than I could say earlier."

Toshinori hummed quietly. "Has he awoke?"

"No," Shuuzenji said. "And that's a relief, quite honestly. I doubt I could contain him without assistance from either you or Eraserhead."

The sickly man known as All Might was quiet for a moment, drinking in the appearance of his broken down protégée. Even though he tried to mask it, horror and shame coated his features like black pain on a white fence, and Recovery Girl didn't even need to have telepathy to know what he was thinking.

"You're going to blame yourself, that's natural; but how is that going to help the boy?"

"It won't." Toshinori said simply. His eyes didn't break from Izuku's body. "But I still should have found him sooner. This _is_ my fault. They were after One-For-All."

Recovery Girl's breath hitched sharply. "You don't mean-"

"No... they weren't actively attempting to steal its power... but they were trying to make it their own, by enslaving Young Midoriya. I've seen it a few times in my day... this isn't a new practice, and unfortunately, it won't be the last one, either. The sludge villain that I fought before the UA entrance exam this fall... where I originally met Young Midoriya, was the last time I'd seen this kind of thing. It was far more tame, but nonetheless, it was the same basic idea: find someone with a powerful quirk and break them to use them to your advantage."

Recovery Girl was silent.

She had nothing left to say, after all.

"There are other concerns," Toshinori said quietly, causing Recovery Girl to eye him uneasily. It wasn't like him to appear so foreboding, but yet, his words carried weight, though Shuuzenji wasn't sure how much weight was upon them. "The other students must be informed, eventually."

"I would imagine they've already been told by the two that found the boy."

Toshinori sighed. "Yes; but to an extent. They don't know the truth."

"Nor do we," Shuuzenji countered.

"The agency exposure field days are about to begin- we held off in order to give the students time to adjust with everything that happened... but I can't help but think the longer we hold off, the more we take away from their ability to grow," Toshinori pointed out.

It had been a rough decision by the faculty to suspend the initial passage of the agency recruitment, but with everything that had happened between the USJ and then one of their students mysteriously vanishing, it hadn't seemed like a good idea to force the up-and-coming heroes to ignore their friend and become distracted by his disappearance. While it cost them about two weeks, it stood to reason that nothing was significantly pushed back, and the end of term would still be in the same amount of time, if not slightly pushed back a few days.

It didn't help that a hero killer was on the loose, threatening to strike down anyone who crossed his blade. With all the threats looming on the horizon, suddenly releasing their students into the wild world didn't seem like such a great idea, even if they were training to be heroes.

"You're afraid of their feelings for being kept in the dark?" Recovery Girl asked.

Toshinori nodded once. "The longer they're ignored, the more questions they'll have... and the more suspicion will arise. They know their friend is not well... how unwell has yet to be seen."

Recovery Girl hummed as she thought about their predicament. "You've thought this through quite well..."

"When it comes to major crisis, I tend to kept my gaze focused ahead."

"Good..." Recovery Girl said. She spared a glance at the clock that hung on her wall.

1342.

Only an hour or so until her next hurdle appeared.

"If you've thought well ahead... you can stand with me and face the young man's mother."

Scarier words had never been spoken.

* * *

"W-where's my I-I-Izuku?!"

It began with the rapid swing of the Nursery door, and it was immediately followed by a tearful wail that could only belong to the overly anxious mother of Izuku Midoriya. Tears, fresh and flowing, dripped from her chin as she burst into the room, her red and puffy eyes drawing a painful stab of guilt from within Toshinori Yagi.

Recovery Girl, for all of her patience that came with dealing with the family members of injured heroes, knew this was not going to be easy. While she'd never directly met Inko Midoriya, there was no shortage of stories when it came to her waterworks, and it suddenly didn't seem so surprising that Izuku had inherited the trait as well.

In fact, it would've almost been scary if Izuku didn't cry as much as his dramatic mother.

This was the one thing, however, Recovery Girl could understand a river of tears, and then some.

"Mrs. Midoriya, I humbly apologize for the wait," All Might said in his deepened, heroic voice. His form, whilst strained from past injury, had been shifted to his muscular form in order to appease the terrified mother. While his size might ordinarily be intimidating, Chiyo Shuuzenji doubted any mother was going to care about the size of anyone when it came to seeing her baby.

Inko didn't respond right away, as she locked onto Izuku's peaceful slumbering state, and rushed over to him. She immediately ran a hand through his knotted green hair, which had become shaggier during his time spent within the villain's clutches. She seemingly paid it no heed, however, as she whispered caring things to the unconscious teen, continuously running her hand through his hair.

"You'll be okay... y-y-you'll be o-okay..." Her delicately wavering voice sounded so fragile, so ready to break, that Recovery Girl almost felt the need to give her a gentle hug. However, the elderly nurse knew better than to make the first move. This was simply the calm before the storm... and the storm was sure to strike with vengeance.

A few moments passed, where the only thing that was said was whatever Inko whispered to her son, gently brushing her fingers along his arms, shoulder, and face, simply soaking in his existence. Understandably, she wasn't sure if she would get the chance to see him again... alive, that is.

"I apologize for how long it took," Recovery Girl finally said. She knew she'd be the first to incur Inko's wrath, but nonetheless, she deserved a handful of the blame in that regard. It had been her decision, after all, to keep Izuku under her care, and to deny any visitors, no matter who it was.

Inko slowly turned from her son and, despite the tears in her eyes, lowered a weak glare at the duo, to which was met with lowered heads in a bowed posture. "W-who decided to keep me from my s-son?"

"Ah, that would be me, Mrs. Midoriya," a smooth, higher-pitched voice said, surprising the three people in the room. From the doorway, a small rodent-like creature stood, a merry smile on his face, despite the situation at hand. "I dearly apologize, but I couldn't risk everyone's safety until it was confirmed Izuku was safe, sound, and of no danger."

"D-d-danger?! He wouldn't hurt a-anyone!" Inko nearly screamed, but her voice was broken by the tears that still flowed from her eyes, taking away from the effect. Still, the rodent-like principle bowed with the smile still on his face, and accepted the blame.

"We weren't positive of that. There's much we have to talk about, and there are things you should know," Principle Nedzu said evenly, with the jovial hint still in his voice.

Recovery Girl hadn't anticipated the principle's arrival, although in hindsight, it made perfect sense for him to be present. He did oversee the school, after all. His willingness to accept blame that wasn't his own was admirable, that much Recovery Girl would admit. But by putting blame on himself, it was a question of how much damage with the public was he willing to risk, especially if things soured between himself and Inko Midoriya.

"L-like what?!"

"My colleague shall explain," Nedzu said, gesturing to Recovery Girl.

The elderly nurse took that as her sign to introduce herself, giving a small bow as greeting, and though she didn't expect it to be returned, she was pleased when Inko nodded her head in response. It wasn't formal, however, it was more than what she'd been expecting.

"Greetings, Mrs. Midoriya. My hero name is Recovery Girl, and I work for the school medicinal department. My quirk, Recovery, accelerates the body's healing factor, but requires the patient to have the stamina to keep up. I've been working with your son since he's arrived. His condition is improving drastically, and soon, he should be back to full health."

"I thank you for t-that..." Inko said quietly. Her gaze, tearful, leveled with the UA faculty, and behind her fears, they were a fire that burned, dedicated to protecting her son. "B-but he shouldn't need protecting!"

"Everyone needs protecting," Nedzu said evenly.

To this, Recovery Girl agreed silently.

The world wasn't fair. Those with powerful quirks typically reigned supreme, from their positions in the underworld, to their sudden ascension in the business world, and they rarely faltered. Combining strength with charisma, or power with strategy made for a dangerous adversary. Nowadays, civilians rarely understood how much they needed protection, because they rarely understood of the dangers that lurked above or below. The media tended to put their focus on the events or people that were visible, which gave those under-the-radar villains the cover they needed to operate.

Whatever the media failed to report on... was essentially invisible.

All Might took this moment to speak. "It is my fault, Mrs. Midoriya. I failed as my responsibilities as a member of the prestigious UA staff... and for that, you have my humblest apologies."

Apologies, as it seemed, were not what Inko Midoriya was out for, as she waved away the sorrow with a stern, yet scared, glare. "Being sorry doesn't help my s-son! He... h-h-he... he doesn't deserve this!"

At that, Inko began to bawl once more, her tears seemingly limitless as she desperately held onto the side of Izuku's bed, afraid he'd disappear if she let go. Recovery Girl felt her heartstrings being pulled on, but she forced herself to remain neutral- she knew one wrong step would result in a mass exodus of problems, and that was the last thing she, or any of the faculty, needed.

They'd have to tread lightly to keep things favorable.

Before she could say anything, however, All Might clenched his fist, and spoke softly- so softly, it was almost lost to the cries of the mother. "I know that. I... I know that better than I should. I took it upon myself to oversee Young Midoriya's growth... I push him to become the hero he desires to be... and yet, every time he is injured, I feel as if it lies upon my shoulders."

For all the times Inko had ever seen All Might, he'd always been adorned with a smile on his face. It was practically his staple, and from what her son used to rave about, it was what made him such an amazing hero. So when she looked up through her watery gaze, she almost froze in time, spying no evidence of a smile on the large man's face.

"No amount of apology can take away your pain, nor can it removed your son's. This failure is my sin to bear. I told him... I am here. But... I was not. And for that... I failed."

 _'You're really filled with this... Toshinori...'_ Shuuzenji thought to herself.

"But I will not rest until the men that did this to Young Midoriya are put in their rightful place, and justice is dolled out. You, Mrs. Midoriya, have my word." All Might's firm gaze, accompanied by his hardened words, gave Inko the confidence she needed, as she teared up for the umpteenth time. This time, relief spread throughout her features, and she nodded once.

"Thank you."

As Inko thanked All Might, a groan emitted from the bedside next to the two adults, drawing everyone's attention for different reasons. On Inko's face was pure elation. The UA faculty, however, wore an uneasy, slightly nervous look as their patient began to stir. His green eyes fluttered open amidst his groans of fatigue and- likely- pain, and for a second, they were calm.

Then, his pupils shrank and he began to look around frantically, not recognizing his location. Recovery Girl's frown deepened as she witnessed the tensing of Izuku's muscles, along with the clenching of his fist. If they didn't take immediate action, he'd activate One-For-All in a desperate attempt to escape.

"W-where am I?" Izuku mumbled to himself, before repeating the question to those he saw. His eyes were wild, filled with fear and mistrust, but what struck Recovery Girl the most was the foreign look within- he truly didn't remember anything. "Where am I?!"

"Midoriya, my boy. It is I, All Might! You were hurt, so we helped you become well again!" All Might said calmly, though his typical passion leaked into his words.

Judging by Izuku's stare, it was clear the teen didn't buy it. "Who... who are you?! Are you trying to hurt me?!"

Before there was even a chance to answer, an intense pressure settled upon the room as Izuku rose from bed, his fists, jaw and teeth all clenched. He ignored the IV that came tearing from his arm, the pain being almost a non-factor as he drew his fist back. "YOU WON'T TAKE ME BACK!"

"Quickly, Headmaster, evacuate Mrs. Midoriya!" All Might shouted, making himself appear larger in order to hopefully discourage the boy's attack. Recovery Girl took her position behind the mountainous man, all the while studying his fearful look that hid behind his aggression.

Even as Nedzu went to pull on Inko's arm, the green-and-black haired mother refused to budge. "Izuku, my baby... s-stop! D-don't you know...?"

Izuku's gaze settled on the woman, and for a second, he hesitated. His mouth went from a scowl, to a frown, and his eyes flickered with recognition. Then, his gaze turned fierce, with sorrow etched between the lines.

"Y-you... you can't be real..." Izuku mumbled. Tears began to pool at the corner of his eyes as he stared at his mother. "Y-you... you died!"

"You're not my mother!"

* * *

 _That's all for this chapter!_

 _I tried to get away from making it seem like a filler, but I dunno, I kinda feel that's how it felt. I dunno. The plot isn't really progressing, but you are getting to see things, and there's still mysteries that exist sooooo... oh well. We'll work on it. This won't be a super long story, in all honesty. I'd say maybe 15 chapter or so. Who knows._

 _Anyways, yeah, that's all I have to say. I really appreciate all the attention this story has received so far. Keeping characters in-character is the hardest thing possible for me, because we're limited on some of their dialogue, even with the manga. So I do apologize if anyone seems off. I try to envision them saying it in my mind, so sometimes that helps... others, well, not so much._

 _Enjoy the chapter, let me know what you think, and thank you again for all your support!_


	4. Ashido

**Disclaimer: At no point have I, or will I, own the rights to this magnificence.**

 _So you're all in luck!_ _This weeks chapter focuses on... Mina Ashido! I know that you're thinking: what?! Why not Bakugou?!_

 _Well, take rest, he'll be within the next two chapters. I'd like to get a bit more going before I focus on him. He's got a very, very important role to play upcoming. So rest easy friends, it'll be coming soon. Also, there's something I'd like to ask._

 _I'd like to set up a media place where I can communicate with people a bit more effectively than . Maybe be able to post updates, or something similar. I don't know if anyone is interested in that idea, because I'd love to talk to people, but I don't know what to use. If you're interested, and have any ideas, lemme know!_

 _Otherwise... onto the chapter! This chapter focuses more on the emotional aspects of the students, and their reactions to everything._

* * *

It would be hard to miss the heavy atmosphere that hung over the classroom like a giant wrecking ball, just waiting to fall at a moment's notice. Tensions were high and the mood was somber; so much, that even students like Hagakure were hard-pressed to bring their typical enthusiasm. The lively girl was even less noticeable than normal, thanks to her lack of energy, and it worried some students.

Mina, especially.

The pink-skinned girl was by far one of the most observant people in all of class 1-A, despite what people might have thought. She was the very definition of attentive. Her eyes didn't just search for gossip-like material, contrary to popular belief. Just as she was a social butterfly, dancing from person to person, her eyes were darting from body to body, drinking in body language, expressions, and habitual tendencies like they were sweet, sweet nectar.

To her, reading a person's mood and mental state was her specialty, and she prided herself on her ability to catch onto things before anyone else could. It wasn't always the easiest job, but it _was_ rather rewarding, and it had definite benefits.

Hell, it was almost like a second quirk with how much she did it.

Which brought her to the present moment and her current predicament. _Everyone_ was out-of-sorts, and it was throwing her off, as well.

Midoriya's sudden kidnapping, accompanied by just as rapid rescue along with his mysterious condition caused a torrent of emotions similar to that of a roller coaster. The problem was, the ride wasn't halfway over, and people already seemed... so tired of it. Of course, nobody wanted to be in this situation... but Mina knew that they were signing up to her heroes, and that meant the rest of their life was going to be filled with twists and turns so sharp, not even a hero with limitless stretching would be able to turn with them.

But yet, Ashido didn't have even the foggiest idea of who to help first. Uraraka was a mess - she was hiding her feelings in a bottle that was practically cracking at the seems, ready to explode in a shower of rage and misery. Iida was a darkened mess of unhealthy brooding, and coupled with his overbearing nature made guilt seep from his mental state like water in a strainer. Mineta was a crying, blubbering mess, and when he wasn't crying, he was practically a hollow shell with no responsiveness.

Even Bakugou was a disaster. Nobody could pinpoint it, but the Mr. Explosive-disorder, as Mina would sometimes call him, was _far_ too silent for his own good. He wasn't bubbling with guilt like Iida, nor was he storing away his feelings like Uraraka, but he wasn't coping perfectly well like he let on, either. Mina knew better. He was hiding something.

Problem was, nobody could talk to the kid. Not only was he nigh unapproachable, what, with his natural asshole-like tendencies, along with his violent outbursts, but he also made it a goal to stay clear of conversations that related to his feelings. Not even Kirishima could get him to open up, and the red-head was notorious for being able to get Bakugou to see his way.

And nobody could ignore Jirou and Kaminari's broken reactions. The two had been inseparable since they recovered Midoriya from the streets, and it was almost cute enough to cause Mina to squeal for joy... it the circumstances were different, of course. They were leaning on one another, that much was obvious. The looks they'd give one another when they thought no one was watching; a worried look. One that spoke volumes.

 _Don't break on me now; I can't do this without you._

It was impossible to miss... if you were looking.

"Ugh..." Mina said, running her hands rapidly through her pink, messy hair. "I have no idea where to start."

"Why not start with those most need it?"

Mina yelped, and jumped in place, not expecting to hear a calm, masculine voice. She turned to her left and saw Todoroki looking at her with a mostly blank expression minus - _was that amusement?_

He was putting folders into his backpack, but yet, his attention was solely on her. "Yaoyorozu certainly has been distracted, as of late. She missed two straight homework assignments, and she also barely performed above average on the test today," Todoroki commented. "Of course, no one can ignore Hagakure's lack of excitement, either."

Blinking slowly, Mina slowly pointed at Todoroki. "Y-you're noticing these things, too? Wait, how did you...?"

"I might be quiet, but I'm not immune to social interactions, you know. They're my classmates, too. And you've been muttering under your breath for much longer than you realize."

"I didn't mean it like that," Mina said quickly, smiling nervously. Her interactions with the half-hot, half-cold quirk-user were about as common as her days without coffee - that is, they never happened. "I'm just a little surprised, is all."

Todoroki hummed quietly, but looked toward the door, as if waiting for someone to come through. "Uraraka and Iida most definitely need help; but they're both far too naïve to admit it. Nobody here... has gone through this, and because of that, they don't know what to do. How to respond."

"I thought Iida's brother was attacked by Stain?" Mina put a finger to her chin and pondered. She was almost certain her classmate had gone through a close-and-personal family ordeal, to which the regional news had broadcasted someone from the Iida family being hurt.

Todoroki paled, and he seemed to have a sudden thought, but he turned away and averted his eyes, to Mina's surprise and overwhelming curiosity. However, bigger fish needed to be fried, so she decided to leave the topic for another day - and mind him, she _would_ be grilling him for answers.

"Anyway... between everyone, it's up to you to judge who needs help first. My recommendation... figure out what you need, first. Information might be your number one tool." Todoroki's advice seemed to clear things up, and her mind - previously murky with all the thoughts running through her head - became far clearer with a goal in mind.

She gave the red/white haired teen a beaming smile - a rarity recently - and flashed him a quick thumbs up. "You're the bomb; I gotta jet!" Just before she darted off, however, a thought crossed her mind, and she paused in the doorway, delicately touching the doorframe with her hand. She turned back, and with a much softer smile, she looked at Todoroki. "Hey... if you need to, you can talk to me."

The boy seemed surprised, but after a few seconds, his shock wore off, and he closed his eyes.

"I appreciate the sentiment. I'll be alright, though."

Mina didn't reply; she didn't have to. She smiled and walked through the door, missing the small smile that fleetingly appeared on Todoroki's lips.

As she walked out the front gate, she whipped out her phone and shot a text to Jirou asking where she was. While she also had Kaminari's number - really, she had _everyone's_ number - she also knew which of the two was more likely to reply. With Jirou's quirk, she'd hear her phone, even if it was on vibrate. Sure enough, a few seconds passed, and Mina had a reply.

 _'Kaminari and I stopped by a record store. What's up?'_

Perfect.

She was able to knock out two birds with one stone if she did everything correct. Mina wouldn't lie though - she was nervous. Previously, she would assist her friends from primary school in matters that were much more trivial than this. She'd never had to deal with... well, she'd never had people witness something like their friend being all jacked up like they'd muttered.

This was profoundly more troublesome than she was used to.

 _'You two wanna come with me to grab some tea? I know a great place.'_

She could practically _feel_ the surprise from the other end. Mina rolled her eyes in amusement, remembering every time people were surprised she drank something like tea. Since it was associated with being mellow, it was the last drink anyone expected her to sip on in her free time. She just never told them she got a variant of the tea they expected.

Her phone made a ding, and she hastily read the reply, her smile growing as she read the message. _'Sure; but don't expect the idiot to drink any. He says he hates tea.'_

 _'They have other stuff.'_ Mina quickly assured. She then shot them the location and began making her way there, all the while, thinking about how she was going to bring things up, and what she was going to say when the time came.

And furthermore... if she was even ready for the truth.

* * *

The shop was small, quiet, and it was rather empty on this particular day. The shop owners did fair amounts of business, and had contracts across the city, allowing their small business to thrive, even on a limited amount of customers. It helped that the rent was cheap - another useful tidbit that Mina had come across with her talkative nature.

The barista smiled as Mina walked in, and leaned on the counter she was previously cleaning. "Oi, Ashido, what'll it be?"

Mina rolled her eyes. "I said Mina is fiiiiine." She paused and glanced fleetingly at the menu board. Even though she'd practically memorized the flavors, she never hesitated to check if there was something new. "Tiger Milk for me."

The barista paused, her eyes glancing at the pink-haired girl. "That's usually what you get when something's up... you okay?"

Curse those habits, Mina thought.

"Y-yeah. Just... a classmate got hurt. So, we're all reeling a bit."

"I guess hero school is more than it appears..." The barista said slowly. She nodded however, and without another word, began whipping up Mina's drink order. Meanwhile, said girl selected a table with a lava lamp in the middle, and sat down, tossing her bookbag down next to her. She didn't want to think about the homework that was calling her name, nor did she was to think about the upcoming tests that were _sure_ to put an anchor on her grade if she wasn't careful.

All she wanted to think about was -

"All I'm saying, is that it's not my fault my quirk makes me go stupid."

"Yeah, yeah, sure. Keep telling yourself."

"Why aren't you listening?!"

The door made a ding upon the duo's entry, and Mina didn't even need to look to know that her two classmates had arrived. Their bickering was a dead-giveaway. However, Mina felt a small measure of relief bubble in her chest. If they were able to squabble, that meant they weren't stuck within a crippling state of self-doubt... at least, that's what it _probably_ meant.

The acid-user spun her chair and eagerly smiled at her two classmates, both giving her their own unique form of a greeting. Jirou caught her eye first, and smiled softly, her eyes brightening just barely, while Kaminari flashed her a thumbs up - coincidentally, he was the one who'd gotten her back into the habit. They turned their attention to the menu board and while it looked like Jirou was ready to order, Kaminari seemed stuck over a few choices, citing a light tap on the back of his head, curtesy of Jirou's ear jacks.

"C'mon, _pic_ _k._ " Jirou bemoaned her indecisive companion, and he smiled sheepishly, but pointed to the board.

"There's so many choices! What if there's a better one than what I pick?!"

Mina giggled to herself, and for a brief moment, she forgot that her class was in a state of disarray. For just a minute, it seemed as if she was just casually hanging out with two friends, preparing to play matchmaker and drink one of her favorite teas.

She watched as the two finally ordered - a look of amusement clearly on the barista's face - and surprise overtook her as Kaminari used a diversion shock to cause Jirou to drop her money. Though the earjack-heroine was annoyed and scowled angrily at her companion, he took the moment to slide money over to the barista for both his drink, _and_ Jirou's, without her knowledge... or likely, her consent.

Admittedly, Mina had to confess he was every bit as sly as he let on. It was no secret she'd thought him to be somewhat of a womanizer when she'd first met him, and he tried to play the moves on her. However, he wasn't by any means a bad guy. He didn't seek to sleep with her (something unfathomable at their current age, but not unheard of) nor did he try and flirt with multiple girls immediately after. He was genuine, too. His compliments had been from the heart, and he was actually taken by her appearance.

She'd later come to realize he found _most_ girls attractive... and that was just his nature to fall quickly, but recover even quicker. Still, he hadn't been scummy about it (like a certain short, purple-haired little dwarf) and he was actually... sweet. Still, he didn't know her, and she didn't know him... so, she turned him down gently, citing she'd rather be classmates first.

He wasn't upset, either. He just groaned, but smiled, and accepted it for face value. Truly, he was a decent, if not hormonal, teenager.

But he _did_ know how to play the sly guy, as well, as evidence by his ability to pay for something he probably had no need to pay for. Mina was willing to bet this wasn't the first time this had happened either, though he was probably changing the script each time, and finding new ways to pay without Jirou noticing.

And sure enough, when she picked up her money and went to pay, and the barista shrugged and told her it was already covered, she shot Kaminari a glare, but it was a weak one, and there was something akin to a very faint blush on her cheeks. Mina grinned; when everything blew over, she'd had plenty of things to pursue - and this was certainly one of them.

They made their way over, and Mina practically ushered them into their seats.

"So what was so important that you wanted to meet us here to talk about?" Jirou asked casually, slipping into her usual habit of twirling her ear jack around her finger. Kaminari also seemed interested, his eyes firmly settled on Mina, awaiting an explanation.

Mina paused; she needed to go about this delicately if she was going to have any success. It was like a video game that dealt with charisma... it was a toss-up whether or not it would work.

"Oh, nothing, really. I just hadn't hung out with anyone in awhile, and I figured you two could... y'know, use a bit of a break," Mina said casually. She watched, from the corner of her eye, as Kaminari twitched ever-so-slightly, and as Jirou's twirling slowed down for a half-second, before resuming.

She'd succeeded; they were on-edge, but not on-guard.

"Plus, I've been wanting to bring people here for awhile, but everyone's always _'too busy'_ or whatnot." Slipping in more casual statements could only help keep their eyes off the trail they were heading down. There was no doubt that they'd be aware eventually, but she didn't want it to seem like the only she'd called them was to gossip about sensitive subjects.

Kaminari took his eyes off the pink-skinned girl to look around the café. "It's kinda quiet, but... it's nice. Live music would really spruce it up, though."

Mina smiled. "They actually do live music on Saturday nights. I think they karaoke, too, but I've never been here for that. Nobody really likes that sort of thing." She glanced at Jirou, who was also looking around. Mina noticed the tremble in her jaw - likely a response from memories playing in her head at the current moment. It was hard to tell what she was thinking, but it wasn't hard to tell what she was feeling.

She was nervous.

And if even the prospect of music wasn't enough to distract her brain, then it was something serious.

Before Mina was given the chance to ask, the barista came out from behind the counter with a platter, and the three drinks on top. They were each inside a glass mug, delicately decorated depending on the type of drink ordered. The tiger milk tea came in a mug with a fierce painting of a forest tiger on it, the orange fur being colored by the contents on the drink inside, and the black stripes being thermally introduced, a result of the cold tea within.

Honestly, this place was so cool, she mused as she smiled at the barista. "Thanks, Mai."

She smiled. "My pleasure, Ashido."

"It's Mina! Say it with me. M-I-N-A."

Mai simply smiled again and bowed, before slipping back behind the bar without another word. She was so quiet, but like Mina, she was extremely skilled at reading people. It was something the two had bonded over during the first few of Mina's initial visits.

Mina turned back to Jirou and Kaminari, both of which were adamantly sipping on their drinks, taking in the quaint little shop. For Mina, the time was perfect to jump on her questions with their minds a bit distracted.

"So, is everything okay?"

One could almost miss the way Jirou paused mid-sip, her eyes darting to the boy sitting next to her, as if reassuring herself that he was still there. Kaminari's eyes flashed to Jirou, as well, and they locked eyes for less than a second, as if just making sure the person beside them was still in one piece. It was almost sweet, if it weren't so concerning.

"I know it's a bit intrusive, but... I just wanna make sure you guys are okay. It's been a..." Mina paused as she thought about the right word. "Hectic few days."

Jirou sighed as she placed her cup on the table, still keeping her hands wrapped around the outside of it. She'd opted for a hot drink, judging by the steam that softly arose from the top of the cup. Her eyes rested downward, and her face fell. "We're... i-it's been a process."

If Mina had been any less observant, she might have missed Kaminari's free hand start to reach out, before halting, and moving back to the cup he was holding with his other hand. His face, too, had become somber, but he looked upon her with worried eyes.

"Finding Midoriya was... rough." Mina would've snorted if the situation had been any different. Rough probably was downplaying it. "It was less him attacking us, but more of his state. He was just so busted up... it was like, kinda horrifying, honestly."

Kaminari took the opportunity to speak, seeing as how his friend had decided to be honest. "He's always been really innocent. Y'know, he's like a cinnamon roll with how timid and stuff he is. Even when he gets all... 'madman' and stuff, he's still an innocent guy doing innocent things... s-shit..." Kaminari's fist clenched and his clamped his eyes shut as he appeared to be in thought. "A-and now, he's all jacked up _and we can't do anything..._ "

He whispered the last part, but it was probably the loudest thing he'd said thus far. Mina felt her heart aching as she looked at her two classmates. They were torn up _bad_ , and there wasn't anything anyone could do to relieve that guilt they felt.

"Jirou. Kaminari." The duo looked up slowly as Mina asked a question she still wasn't sure if she wanted to hear the answer to. "W-what..." She froze, unable to come up with the proper way to ask the questions that accumulated in her mind. "How... how did he look? What... happened?"

The two exchanged a look, as if uncertain if they should answer. And partially, Mina knew exactly why that was. It was confidential information, and they were only privy to it because they'd be the ones who'd found him. If they'd been kept in the dark, it would've been a nightmare trying to fend off the constant barrage of questions the students would likely spring upon anyone who may have known.

Rumors would begin, and they'd burn the situation to the ground if left unaddressed.

"Mina... it's not that we don't want to tell you." Jirou began, and Mina knew exactly what came next. "It's just... we _can't_ tell you."

"Why not?"

"It's classified... that's what Recovery Girl said, anyways," Kaminari replied.

It was clear the two didn't firmly believe in those words, because their expressions wavered, and with all her skills she'd accumulated over the years of being a social butterfly, she could see their desire to speak out.

Mina restrained her desire to hit something out of frustration - a unique emotion for her, because she so rarely became flustered. "We're his classmates. Hell, we're his _friends_! And it's eating you two alive!"

There was a silence.

And then...

"T-there's... a rumor..." Mina looked up slowly, Jirou keeping her eyes averted as pain flashed inside them. "Midoriya doesn't remember his mother."

"Y-yeah, I know..." Mina mumbled. She recalled Mr. Aizawa saying that Midoriya was experiencing symptoms similar to amnesia- his forgetting his mother was a bit surprising, and even more worrying, but it wasn't that unexpected, either. Mina was no doctor, so she didn't know the specifics to how amnesia worked, but if it was anything like the television shows made it out to be, it usually wiped a person's mind clear of most to all information.

So while it _sucked_ Midoriya forgot his mom, it was seemed to make a tiny bit of sense.

"Dude, he thinks his mom is dead! It's a little more than not remembering someone!" Kaminari said suddenly, eliciting a scowl from Jirou.

She went to hit him with her ear jack, before growling angrily and retracting them before she made contact. "I was getting to that, idiot! Besides; we _just_ said we weren't allowed to say anything!"

"It's going to get out eventually! Who cares?!"

"I care, you bucket of volts! They're gonna know who spilled!" Jirou argued back.

"M-Midoriya thinks... his mother was killed?" Mina asked quietly.

Both Jirou and Kaminari stopped their argument and looked at one another guiltily, although Jirou still had an ounce of annoyance in her eye. Hesitantly, she spoke up. "Look, y-you can't say anything. To anyone. We weren't supposed to say anything-"

"You were already revealing stuff!" Kaminari protested, but was ignored.

"- but _it doesn't matter now,_ " Jirou emphasized, looking at her yellow-haired friend with a fierce glare, causing him to clam up. "Because, he's right. It would get out. But just... keep this to yourself. For now, at least."

"Is he okay?!" Mina asked, unable to contain her worry any longer. "Please!"

"He... his arms are almost paralyzed." Mina froze in fear. Midoriya's... arms? Jirou sighed. "Something about, he tore his joints up way too much because of something that happened and... they're not paralyzed yet, but if he keeps going, then he'll lose use of them."

"Holy... shit..."

"Yeah, he's in bad shape," Jirou commented.

"And... you two?" Mina finally asked. She hadn't forgotten the reason she brought everything up in the first place. She got the information... now she needed to make sure that her friends were alright. "Are you two okay?"

"It's terrifying to see one of your classmates in such a shitty state..." Kaminari stated bluntly. Typically, he had a bit more style to his word choice, so a blunt statement from him was like a sledgehammer to glass. "He looked possessed. Like, the only thing he cared about... was getting to safety."

"More than that, his eyes were haunted. Broken. I could hear his heartbeat. It was so... _fast_. He was scared. He thought we were going to kill him. Imagine... being so lost that you think your classmates... y-your friends... are trying to murder you in cold-blood." Jirou set her cup down, her interest in the cooling drink now completely diminished.

She brought her feet up onto her chair and pulled her knees to her chest, ignoring how awkward it was with a school uniform on. "I think that'll haunt me... for awhile."

"His words, he just... wanted to get away. I think shocking him was the most difficult thing... I've ever done." Kaminari spoke as he stared at his hands. Stray bands of electricity danced along his finger tips, connecting his fingers in a thin line of brief yellow light, but for once, he looked... disgusted? "I don't think I can forget what I did. I've never felt the pain I've induced on someone before... but that time, I did."

"I told you," Jirou said firmly through the wavers in her voice. "You _had_ to."

"There could've been another wa-"

"There _wasn't_." Jirou smacked the table. "It was either: you put him down, or I blasted him. And believe me, your version was far more merciful. All I would have done was ruptured his ear drums... maybe prolonged the fight. You at least limited the destruction he could do to himself, and everyone else."

"M-maybe..." Kaminari whispered.

"No." Mina said. "You did the right thing, Jirou's right. Midoriya is... _powerful_. We saw we he could do. We're all taking an oath to become heroes... and that means you have to things that aren't going to be easy. You were the only one who could've done something without hurting him more. I could've thrown acid - but how would that helped? Bakugou would've just blown him sky high. That doesn't help, either. You did what you could with what you had."

Jirou flashed Mina a brief, but appreciative smile, and delicately touched Kaminari's free hand. He nearly flinched away, but settled as he realized it was only the ear jack heroine. "You did good... Kaminari."

His smile was weak, in return, but it spoke volumes. It meant he believed them. And that was a step in the right direction for Mina. While she would have loved to help Jirou, she knew that the any helping advice would have paled in comparison to what time could offer. There were no words that could reverse the implementation of Midoriya's scared eyes in her brain, nor were there any words that could outright remove the image. All that could be done, was let time take its course, and hopefully, the image would fade.

And maybe, it'd fade when she saw Midoriya up and walking around without a problem, and the natural, energetic light in his eyes, returned.

Mina stole a glance at her phone; the time was hardly late enough for her to need to return home, but she could sense the duo needed time with one another, so Mina politely stood up and excused herself.

"I should get going home... I'm sorry for prying; but thank you for the information. I won't tell anyone. I hope... I helped a little?"

Jirou and Kaminari both offered worn, but appreciative smiles, and nodded simultaneously. Though, only Jirou spoke up. "Yeah... you did. Both of us feel better... talking about it. Thank you, Mina."

She bowed. "You're welcome."

She bid the duo a farewell, and she didn't stop walking until she arrived at the train station. She didn't start thinking until she was on the train. She didn't stop thinking until she was on her bed at home, her thoughts akin to that of a wild monsoon. She didn't stop crying until she was called for dinner, and her mother worriedly came in to comfort her.

Because as much as Mina told herself that she'd only gotten information for others, she knew she was lying. She, herself, wanted - no, _needed_ \- to know what was happening. She cared... so much, for her black and green haired friend. He was sweet. Innocent. Everything that was _right_ with the world, and somehow, he was exposed to everything wrong with it.

She knew she wanted to help everyone in her class. They needed it.

But she had been ignoring the most obvious observation of all.

She needed it, too.


	5. Aizawa

Disclaimer: Nothing's changed.

 _Hey all, I'm back again. I'll keep it quick. Firstly, as usual, thank you all so much for your kind words, reviews, and just general support. I'm thinking about making a means to communicate with people more effectively, as well as offer updates for chapters and take requests for one-shots or something. Does anyone have any recommendations for a site or way to do that? Or is there no interest in it?_

 _There's also a mention of_ mental retardation _in this chapter, and please, for the love of everything, DO NOT COMPLAIN ABOUT THIS! We diagnose this at my hospital from time to time, and this is one of the ICD-10 codes we need to use for diagnosis and past medical history, so please do not complain that it's "improper" or something. We're not going PC here guys._

 _Secondly, this chapter is going to focus on one character I think can push this story forward. So enjoy ... MR. AIZAWA!_

 _I'm sorry it's a bit short!_

* * *

Shota Aizawa was _tired_.

He'd had to wake up at an absurd time - _noon_ \- and deliver his students to the train station so they could begin the next part of their training. He'd had his doubts, honestly, and he debated pushing back the field training exercise at least a little longer, so that outlying circumstances would be sorted out, but ultimately, he knew real life waited for no one.

While there had been some... protests, the students accepted the decision after he'd sternly explained being a hero meant moving forward, even when you didn't think you could. Injuries... personal affairs... fatigue... _death_... all would play into the daily lives of a hero. If one couldn't cope with any of those factors, they weren't suited to save lives.

They weren't suited to be a hero.

Admittedly, he _was_ worried for them, though. Certain students had displayed the ability to get work done, despite the hovering disaster that blanketed the class's mood, but others were having a more difficult time moving forward. Grades had seen a steady decline, though no one had outright fallen into failing territory.

However, in the end, putting those students in the field wasn't his decision. They needed this to grow.

Once he'd been sure they were all on their way to their respective destinations, he'd felt the sweet relief of peace wash over him, and the prospect of going back to sleep called out to him like a gentle whisper upon the breeze. Truly; he'd _earned_ this nap.

Then, he was contacted by Recovery Girl, and his idea for a nap vanished like a ghost.

"I understand you're busy," Aizawa ignored the hint of doubt that crept into her voice. No matter what the old woman said, he _was_ busy. "But I need you to come and see the boy. All Might..." She paused. She probably couldn't find the right way to say what was on her mind, he figured. "He's just not the right man for this. Right now."

Aizawa sighed. "And what makes you think I am?"

"I'm old. I know these things."

He just wanted to sleep... why was it that he was being denied this privilege?

"Please, Shota. He's... he's been aggressive and scared every time his sedation wears off. We can't keep pushing medicine into his body like this - sooner or later, he _needs_ to be coherent." The plea in Recovery Girl's voice was unneeded, as Aizawa had already decided to come visit the boy before she'd even asked. However, hearing her say it, he realized the situation was much worse than it was expected to be.

"How aggressive has he been?"

"He's managed to force All Might to defend... twice." Not just once... Aizawa pondered. The boy had successfully forced the top hero to defend himself _twice_.

Knowing All Might, the large oaf was liable to be overly trusting toward the boy, but even so, he wasn't a masochist, and he didn't condone putting Recovery Girl at risk for his own feelings. If nothing else, All Might was almost superb at masking his feelings for the sake of a mission, if only displaying a jovial mood. To make matters more interesting, All Might was a combat specialist... he didn't fall for the same trick twice, and he had reflexes to boot. Midoriya was powerful... he made up one of the Big Three, as the class had dubbed it... but he shouldn't have the power to put the top hero on the defensive.

He had the strategy, the brain, the instinct and the adaptiveness to outdo most heroes even now... but the power and control of that power was what he lacked.

"Did he break his limbs doing so?" He had a tendency of doing it, so Aizawa wanted to check.

Recovery Girl sighed, though there was annoyance within. "You can't break what's already broken."

That answered that question.

"Alright; I'm on my way," Aizawa said before hanging up. Sleep would just have to wait.

* * *

Never once had Aizawa been one to feel prolonged fear. He, like everyone, was subject to bouts of fear, and living life as a hero, he knew it wouldn't suddenly stop. Still, he'd been praised as one of the most composed when it came to hero-training, and his graduation from U.A saw his highlighting feature as his stoic and calm nature, which was why he'd been sought out to become a teacher after he served as a pro hero for a short while.

So when he stood in front of the door that led to where Midoriya was now being kept, he felt his body almost... stiffen. His eyes, dry from his quirk, seemed to be just a little drier than normal, but he also felt the itching instinct to prepared to use his quirk. He could feel the choking tension in the air, thick and menacing.

He didn't bother knocking. Not just anyone knew about this room, and no one was going to accidentally wander in. If they did, they'd be in for a world of problems, with the most obvious being the whole trespassing issue at a school for law-abiding heroes.

His entrance caused Recovery Girl to turn to him with concealed surprise, but outward relief.

"Thank you for coming; he's begun showing signs of the medicine wearing off," Recovery Girl said. Aizawa raised an eyebrow.

She sounded _exhausted_. It wasn't surprisingly, really. The elderly little nurse had a knack for remaining healthy, but when it came down to her patients, she was tenacious and didn't cut herself slack to rest or recover. As odd as it was, she was like any other hero: she worked until the job was done.

Though, in the end, it was just another problem Aizawa had to address.

"When did you last sleep?"

Recovery Girl grimaced, and just like that, Aizawa sighed, knowing he had his answer.

He wasn't particularly fond of taking care of Midoriya on his own, but only because he knew he might accidentally fall asleep. As attentive as he was and could be, it would be negligent to ignore his tendency toward dozing off during the day. He operated as a night-time hero for a specific reason.

Still, he needed to do his part, so he stuffed his hands in his pockets and sighed. "Go take a tap, get some food... do something that isn't this. I'll make sure he's fine."

Recovery Girl gave him a look and he could feel her mulling over the decision. Truly, that woman was as stubborn as they came.

"Chiyo. You need to rest. You're of no use to the boy if you can't think properly," Aizawa said sternly, the same voice he reserved for his particularly stubborn students. Knowing the elderly woman, she'd be rather annoyed he spoke to her like a child, but she'd appreciate it in the long run, all the same. "I can watch him for a few hours."

The elderly nurse sighed, her expression softening as she gazed at the sleeping boy, and her gaze carried Aizawa's over to Midoriya's resting body. He didn't look as bad he did when he'd first come in. His skin, previously cracked and broken with spider-web cracks running across its surface, was now almost back to its typical shade of white, only a few dark bruises remaining on the surface. His arms were now set back into their proper location, which was a stark contrast from the abnormal position they were in when he'd first arrived.

The only thing that hadn't changed was the look on his face, even when resting. While there were fleeting moments that he'd settled into a peaceful slumber, for the most part, he was plagued by internal issues that kept a tense, terrified look plastered on his young face. And there was nobody that could assist in that.

It seemed Chiyo knew when she was beaten. "Call me if you need me, I'll be in the lounge... resting."

Aizawa nodded wordlessly, and followed her with his eyes to be sure she left and didn't try to hover around. Once the door was closed, he exhaled, and slowly walked over to Midoriya's bedside, where he got a good look at his homeroom student.

 _"Sensei... I can still move!"_

He hadn't forgotten the fiery determination in that single sentence; the same sentence that had won him over. In just one measly minute, the boy had gone from a worthless, lucky kid with no potential, to a budding hero with infinite potential. Though how much of that potential was limited by how well he could learn to grasp his power, as well as how well he could adapt in a fight.

The Sports Festival had been a showing of how far he'd come as a student, and while Aizawa wouldn't say it aloud without prompting, he was _proud_ of Midoriya's efforts. Truthfully, of course, he was proud of everyone, though he also held regards that certain students could have performed better, whilst some surprised him and over-performed for what he'd expected. Someone like Ashido held potential, but she'd need to learn to fight more effectively with her acid - still, she'd impressed him with her natural skills and ability to adapt in other events, such as the chariot race and even the preliminary event. Others, such as Kaminari, did well, but Aizawa knew he could have done better had he used his powers in a better way.

Midoriya, though, impressed him the most.

Paired with his iron-like tenacity that put even TetsuTetsu to shame, he'd shown moments of restraint when attacked Todoroki directly; and that was a sure-sign that Midoriya was, in fact, learning to contain his monster (and dare he say... growing?) power. Breaking his limbs was still inevitable at that time, but his dedication toward swaying Todoroki, along with his own personal goals of winning, meshed together, and just like that, Midoriya had gone above and beyond what Aizawa believed he was initially capable of.

Truly, this kid had something special.

But he was still young... and naïve. Aizawa couldn't - _wouldn't -_ let him go through his tenure at U.A. thinking that he could not only save everyone, but act childishly in the field, as well. He had the guts of a hero, the mind of a strategist, but he had the heart of someone who thought that bad guys were only bad exteriorly, and they wouldn't truly hurt someone. He had to become smarter in the field if he was going to truly flourish as a hero.

Still, that time would come.

From the corner of his eye, Aizawa saw Midoriya's form shift ever-so-slightly, and immediately, he prepared for the inevitably awakening. While he was no medical professional, he knew his way around some pain medications, and he could see where Recovery Girl left the needle with some kind of sedation medication. No doubt it was meant to be a push IV drug, judging by Midoriya's sodium bolus and present line.

But yet... Aizawa wasn't certain that was the best course of action. Sooner or later, Midoriya would be forced to come to consciousness and _remain_ conscious, even if he was terrified. While Erasure had lost the time of which it could be used for, as well as suffering an extended "cool-down" period, it still remained a viable option in the event that Midoriya needed a few seconds to feel powerless.

There was no better time than the present, he supposed.

Midoriya's eyes shot open, wild and fearful, and he rocketed up out of his prone position like he was shot from a cannon. Aizawa immediately felt the pressure of Midoriya's quirk activating, the low hum of power that collected across his body, and with the blink of an eye, Aizawa felt his own quirk activate, and suddenly, the boy's wild expression seemed to tame itself.

His fear, though, grew.

"W-w-what... did you...?"

Memory loss. That's right.

"I erased your quirk. I'm here to help you." Aizawa generally didn't deal with children hostages, nor did he associated himself with terrified children much, but the truth was that he couldn't work at a high school without having some interactive experience with kids.

Apparently, Midoriya was conflicted by that statement, and he bit his lip roughly, drawing speckles of ruby blood that dripped down his chin and fell harmlessly onto the previously white bed-sheet. "E-e-e..."

"Erased," Aizawa assisted.

While there had been no evidence of permanent brain trauma, there was concern for developmental delays that could result from the concussion that Midoriya came in with. There was no telling how much concussions he'd suffered in his time away, and if they'd even been addressed. The stuttering was usual for the boy, and it could potentially be chalked up to fear, but there was nothing that could be completely ruled out - _yet_.

There were only a few seconds left before he needed to blink, and Aizawa knew it was important to bluff his way through this. If he could convince Midoriya that his power was _gone_ , then perhaps he could take away the edge of pain and prevent him from instinctively building up all the power he could, only to accidentally hurt himself further, as he'd already done.

"W... w-will it... back?" Midoriya stammered. It wasn't mental retardation as the fears had initially been. Midoriya could think of the words, and he was actively listening, thinking and interacting... he was just overcome by fear, and there were likely lapses in his brain where the concussion caused a haze to fall over his words before he spoke.

"Eventually," Aizawa said evenly. "But you need to promise you won't use it."

Midoriya's eyes narrowed, the burning fear still present. "W-why?"

"You shouldn't hurt the elderly."

He froze, and perfectly in time, as Aizawa's quirk finally reached its limit and he blinked, releasing the hold over Midoriya's quirk. However, whether it was nerves or something else, the boy once again began to fizzle with power, and tears pooled at the corner of his eyes as the pressure reappeared. Aizawa grimaced.

He needed at least 15 seconds before he could activate his quirk again.

"Hey now, didn't I just say not to do that?" Aizawa asked sternly.

Midoriya blinked, snapping himself from his thoughts, and began to panic. "I-I-I-I... n-no!"

"Calm down, you're only getting yourself worked up and using that power as a fallback."

"N-NO!"

 _7 seconds still._

"Breathe!"

"NO!"

 _3 seconds_.

"Midoriya!"

Time froze and the pressure, while still present, halted in growth. Midoriya's eyes were wide, but empty, as if he were lost in thought.

 _Time's up_.

With another blink, Aizawa let his quirk wash over Midoriya's stunned body, and removed his quirk from him once again, causing the pressure to subside. But Midoriya hardly reacted.

"Y-yoooou... know me?" Midoriya whispered.

Aizawa kept his eyes locked with the timid boy's. "Yes. And you know me."

"I... I-I..." Midoriya clenched his eyes shut as a look of pain crossed his face. Aizawa didn't react. The pain wasn't a result from breaking a bone, or straining a muscle... the young teen was trying to unlock a part of his brain he didn't have access to. He needed to do this. "Can't... remember..."

While unfortunately, Aizawa had admittedly figured as much. It would have been astounding to see Midoriya's memory return, but it was impractical to assume it was something that would suddenly develop. More than that, it seemed as if there were other issues to address, aside from just his lack of a memory. His timid nature around people had become even worse, to the point of instinctive self-defense measures.

He needed help.

"I see." Midoriya's gaze, frightened and foreign, gently rose from staring down at his lap, to look Aizawa in his face. The pro-hero could see every ounce of terror that was running rampant within the boy's eyes... and he felt his heart tighten as he thought about the horrors that the teen in front of him was forced to endure. He didn't know the specifics - no one did - but he knew Trigger was involved, and judging by Midoriya's behavior... it hadn't been gentle.

"P-ple-ase." Aizawa's breath hitched in his throat. Large tears began streaking from the jade eyes of the wounded teenager, cascading down his face and splashing harmlessly on his clenched fists. "D-d-don't... hurt me."

Begging.

The boy was _begging._

Aizawa felt his rage begin to bubble within as the implications settled down of what, exactly, was occurring in front of him.

Part of him wanted to reach out and touch the child - to reassure him that he _was't_ alone. Just a gentle little pat on the shoulder, or even a hand on his head, to tell him that there was nothing to be afraid of. But that rational part, that part that guided him through fights and life itself, it won out, and he kept his hand firmly at his side. The boy was scared of people. Touching him was not going to help him understand there was nothing to be afraid of.

"Don't worry, kid." All he could do was speak the truth, and hope at some point, it settled in. "I won't."

If nothing else, it seemed Midoriya was complacent huddling in the corner of his bed, the only thing keeping him from fleeing being the IV attached to his arm. The only progress that made itself known was the lack of Midoriya's quirk threatening to decimate his body.

It was a good thing he'd brought his sleeping bag, because it sounded like he'd be here awhile.

And when his class returned from their internships, they'd have a new class project. Someone needed to fix Midoriya, and who better than the ones he'd come to recognize as his friends?


	6. Todoroki

_Disclaimer: I do not own My Hero Academia. Still._

 _So I apologize for my long absence, but I've been swamped with work and classes._

 _Anyways, I spent a LOT of time trying to figure out how the hell to make this close to canon without drastically altering the scheme of things. One, obviously, Iida and Stain have to fight... somehow. And Midoriya doesn't have control over One-For-All yet, either, which is another problem. So, I think this story may only go on a few more chapters, and the characters that I think will get a chapter will include, and not in this order: Uraraka, Iida, Midoriya (II), Bakugou, Kaminari... and today's chapter, Todoroki._

 _Maybe more might happen, especially if I feel like it won't be dragging out, and also depending on the pace, but yeah, that's the thoughts for the future._

 _So lets rock and roll!_

* * *

The heroic internships went plainly and smoothly, which was a _huge_ surprise to nearly every single student from class 1-A. It was almost as if something planned went off without a single problem, just like it had been planned.

Todoroki, as silent as he was, admittedly was just as surprised as everyone else. But he knew not to complain.

As the first class since the internships neared commencement, Todoroki quietly made his way to his desk, doing his best to ignore the amiable chatter between all the other students, as he felt guilty for eavesdropping. Quite frankly, his mind was in a whole other place at the moment, anyways, as his eyes gently drifted to the empty seat that was typically occupied by a hunched over teenager with green hair.

 _He still wasn't back_.

It wasn't that surprising, in all honesty, but a part of Todoroki was... sad.

"Good morning, Todoroki." The gentle voice of Momo Yaoyorozu broke Shoto's thoughts, but he found that he didn't mind the interruption. He turned to face the tall girl, smiling softly in greeting, and resisting the urge to raise an eyebrow at Momo's brief surprise. He knew his changes had been noticeable by those that paid attention (though he'd never guess All Might, of all people, would notice first) but his father had pointed it out too; he was changing.

He was accepting people into his life, finally.

"Good morning, Yaoyorozu." He hesitated. His time without comrades was not lost on him, and he struggled to figure out the next thing to say. Without meaning to, he wondered, ' _what would Midoriya do_ _?'_ , and the answer came to him like he'd been struck by lightning. "How was your internship?"

Once more, Yaoyorozu was overcome by a moment of shock, but her expression settled, and she smiled bashfully, a dash of red dusting her cheeks as she presumably thought back on her internship. "W-well... it was certainly... interesting. I'm not certain it was what I was expecting, though. How about yours?"

Todoroki pondered the question for a moment. Was he satisfied with the experience? He'd been worried initially; he knew Iida had dark-seated thoughts on his brother's attacker, and it appeared that Iida was unable to locate Stain... this time. He knew those feelings, because he, too, had the same expression during his entire childhood. The all-consuming lust for revenge. It nipped at his self-control like a starved animal, and the urge to let loose and relish in that revenge was temping... _too_ tempting. He had fallen for it... until Midoriya had intervened.

Just like that, he'd snapped Todoroki's desire for revenge, and inspired him to overcome his father by not even becoming his father.

Going to his father's agency was only to prove to himself that he'd relinquished his father's control over his destiny, as well as develop control over his now-accepted fire-quirk. Whether he accepted his dead-beat father or not, the man knew how to utilize his power to the maximum... and the only way to protect those that Shoto had come to accept into his life, was to learn to harness those powers.

"It was... helpful." A genuine smile grew on Yaoyorozu's face as she heard his words. "I think it was important to my personal growth... and maybe, even my growth as a hero."

"That's excellent; that sounds like exactly what Mr. Aizawa wanted for us!"

Spoken aloud, the man suddenly appeared, walking into the classroom with his usual tired appearance and dark eyes. This time... there was something else though. The way he carried himself was different. Shoto's eyes narrowed slightly as he drank in Aizawa's slow gait, the contemplative look in his eye, one that held uncertainty and doubt. It was the same look of someone who had no idea of what to do, but had no other choices.

The look didn't vanish as Aizawa came to a stop at the desk, but it did diminish as he looked over the class, seemingly satisfied no one was hurt.

"It seems as if you managed to avoid trouble during the internships... at least we can get through one section of class without something happening..." He mumbled, causing a few people to sweat drop. Shoto couldn't miss the sweep that Aizawa's eyes did over the class, pausing ever-so-slightly over the empty desk of Midoriya.

He took in a deep breath.

"I have a new class assignment for everyone."

The silent conversation between Jirou and Kaminari halted, both students freezing and their eyes darting to Aizawa. Mineta, who'd been enraptured in a daydream, suddenly woke up from his fantasy and was now staring intently at his teacher. Even Bakugou's attention, previously diminished by his nonchalant manner, was leaning forward, his full focus now forward.

"As I promised... I have an update on Midoriya's progress."

There was a collective sharp intake of breaths, and a few mute murmurs between students. Aizawa's glare intensified, but he didn't resort to using his quirk... yet. Todoroki felt his heart rate pick up just a little, and he even felt himself leaning forward slightly so as to not miss anything his teacher had to say.

"He's alive."

It took everything in Todoroki to avoid rolling his eyes. He figured if the green-haired teen had passed, they would've been alerted sooner... at least, he _hoped_ they would've been alerted sooner. Kirishima, however, didn't share the same self-restraint as Todoroki, and spoke out.

"But how is he, sir?! Is he awake?"

Aizawa placed his glare on Kirishima, who shivered, and sheepishly averted his gaze, but he didn't lose the concerned look on his face. The red-haired teenager couldn't be accused of being emotionless, that much was certain.

"As I was saying..." Aizawa said slowly and deliberately, pushing his point across that he didn't want any interruptions. "His progress has been slow. What I'm going to tell you, is something I'm going to tell you in full confidence. Absolutely, under no circumstances, should you be spreading this around like some sort of illness. Confidentiality. Consider this your test."

Slowly, the gears in Todoroki's head turned as he took in the implications his teacher had left for them. It sounded as if...

Aizawa shuffled some papers on his desk slowly. "His growth toward being restored has been... slow. _Painfully_ slow. With everything taken into consideration... I have made the decision to allow everyone in this room, the opportunity to interact with Midoriya, in order to help facilitate his recovery. My hope is that he will begin to recognize those who he calls comrades... and that, maybe, he can begin to function as a reliable hero, in the near future."

This time, there was no containing the flurry of activity as multiple voices went off simultaneously. All the chatter originated around the same basis: everyone wanted to be the first to see Midoriya. Todoroki grimaced; he wondered how much of their desire was seated on wanting to help the young hero, versus how much was dedicated toward getting information just to sate their thirst of curiosity.

He felt bad about thinking so little of his classmates... but for some, he couldn't dare understand why they were so invested in helping the green-haired teenager. Unless...

Todoroki's expression softened. _'Unless this is just another example of how Midoriya's kindness has touched everyone...'_ he thought to himself.

From the front of the room, a loud 'hm!' was heard, followed immediately by the rising of Aizawa's thick black hair, and sudden brightening of his eyes. The bandages around his neck, that typically hung loosely, were now suspended in mid-air, and the chatter that previously filled the room, was now absent, vanishing in the face of someone that commanded respect and unleashed authority merely by becoming serious.

Todoroki smiled ever-so-slightly. It was hard to argue with Aizawa's teaching style when it was so effective...

"You'll have to communicate with myself and Recovery Girl before seeing Midoriya... and you'll have to abide by specific rules when you're in his room. You should all know his power..." Todoroki grimaced and gently touched his abdomen. He hadn't yet forgotten that strength... "...so it's imperative that you don't do anything rash and force him to attack out of defense."

Aizawa looked directly at Kirishima, and then at Bakugou, citing defensive responses from the both of them, but ultimately, they were ignored.

"We'll be spending this class having each of you plan out what you'll be doing to help Midoriya's recovery. I'll send small groups to Recovery Girl's office to schedule times, as well. Feel free to cooperate with others... but we can't allow everyone into the room at the same time, so keep that in mind when you're planning your course of action." Aizawa walked to the front of each row, and passed a sheet of paper back, presumably to be used for plotting and jotting down potential ideas.

As the paper made its way back, Todoroki accepted it silently, and stared at it. A few students began mumbling to one another, chattering quietly, but loudly enough to make sure people around could jump in and add input if they felt necessary. Shoto let his eyes scan the room to see how other's were working. Uraraka and Iida were both sent to Recovery Girl, to which _no one_ was surprised. With Uraraka's recently withdrawn behavior, allowing her the opportunity to _finally_ interact with Midoriya would be therapeutic for her... at least, that was the hope.

Aizawa watched the duo exit the room, and Todoroki caught the slight look of concern on his expression, before he sighed and turned his attention toward evaluations from the internship. Shoto didn't have to ponder long on why he was concerned. Seeing your friend in such a broken state... would it be helpful for the young girl to see her best friend - _and possibly crush? -_ in such a shattered state, or would she only become worse after seeing him?

It was hard to determine. Heroes would have to deal with the worst when it came to people's health... so this experience would only open Aizawa's eyes toward which of his students would be able to hang with the pros.

Allowing his eyes to keep probing, the half-cold, half-hot user was surprised to see most of the girls cooperating with separate people in a small huddle, almost none of them working together like they usually did. Jirou was - _not surprisingly -_ with Kaminari, whilst Tsuyu was working with Tokoyami and Shoji. Only Ashido was cooperating with another girl, and that was Hagakure, who was also with Ojiro and Sato. Koda and Aoyama were conversing... which ended up being more Aoyama than Koda, who just wrote everything down frantically.

"Todoroki?" The teen paused his scan of the room, and turned to face Yaoyorozu, who was slightly red in the face and clutching her paper tightly. "W-would you be interested in perhaps... working together?" Before he had a chance to respond, she spoke again. "I know it's strange, but... you seem to know Midoriya well, and I really want to help him. So... please?"

Todoroki smiled softly, reassuring her gently as he spoke. "Sure; but you shouldn't think you wouldn't come up with anything on your own."

"It's not a matter of _can't_... but a matter of _how_. He... Midoriya is an excellent classmate... a great _friend_. I want to help him in the most beneficial way."

A voice interrupted. "You could always benefit me and show me your bo- ACK!" While Yaoyorozu was against violent actions against her classmates... Todoroki would admit that he didn't condone violence toward those that didn't deserve it. Mineta, on the other hand, nearly always deserved it. And nobody would look twice if the tiny leecher was suddenly coated in a thin veil of ice.

The tall girl winced, but ultimately, ignored the scene in front of her, her memory replaying the Sports Festival, which led to the quiet mantra of, _'he deserved it, he deserved it...'_.

"S-so," Yaoyorozu spoke, forcing a smile onto her face as she pushed Mineta's groaning form from her thoughts. "Shall we get started?"

* * *

Just as Todoroki had suspected, the taller girl had plenty of brilliant ideas. Her knowledge far exceeded simply knowing the structures of non-biological objects, and even though she was arguably the most socially awkward of all the girls, she was a very kind, caring and thoughtful person, which made her _perfect_ for developing plans to aid their classmate.

Todoroki's plan was simple: show him scenes from All Might's recorded fights. While initially, Yaoyorozu was skeptical about this plan - not knowing how seeing a fight would make him think - she admitted that they were on the right track. Childhood memories were arguably the way to go... even if Midoriya didn't believe his mom was alive. That, of course, was dependent on the rumors.

For their plans to work, they'd have to avoid bringing up the topic of his kidnapping. In fact, the goal was to avoid anything related - having him talk things out was _not_ going to earn them his trust.

A good ten minutes passed before Aizawa allowed them to schedule an appointment with Recovery Girl - only, she had some rather surprising news.

"I'd like you to attempt to talk to him."

Todoroki blinked, but did his best to remain passive. "May I ask why?"

Recovery Girl smiled the 'old woman smile', but looked at the duo with warmth. "Of course you may."

A moment passed.

"Will you tell us...?" Yaoyorozu asked slowly.

"Nope," Recovery Girl said, just as warmly.

Todoroki hummed gently, but decided to just roll with the punches. If the legendary support heroine wanted him and the class vice president to speak with Midoriya... well, at the very least, they could give it a shot. Even if the reason was masked and hidden. Even if he had absolutely no idea what to actually say, because he had _no idea_ what he was going to come face-to-face with.

To his right, Yaoyorozu fussed quietly, muttered gently under her breath as she condemned doing something without a known reason. She was methodical, if nothing else, and being asked to do something important like this without a known reason...? It was enough to drive her insane.

Recovery Girl struggled from her chair, cursing at its height, before she grabbed her cane and walked over to a chart that was laying on a desk. "The only thing you need to know is that he is easily spooked... and his memory is severely impaired. However... he's no longer using his quirk randomly, and from what I've observed, he's accepted that we're not his enemy."

Two positives; the first being this his quirk was no longer a wild bomb waiting to detonate. Todoroki slightly relaxed. Knowing that his body wasn't going to end up like the ice he'd thrown at Midoriya in the Sports Festival was... reassuring, at best.

Slowly, the duo opened to door to Midoriya's room, and hesitantly entered, as if their classmate was a wild animal, waiting to lash out at them. There was no noise within - no shuffling of feet, no heavy labored breathing, no nervous or demented mumbling... everything that would have caused Todoroki to become slightly more trigger-happy, so to speak.

"M-Midoriya?" Yaoyorozu asked softly, a rare flutter in her voice. While she could lack self-confidence, Shoto couldn't ever recall a time where she wasn't sure of someone else. He'd never seen her in a tense situation. Combat training, while effectively a good measure of a person's own mental fortitude, was easily able to be ignored as real, and it could sometimes miss the element of danger.

From underneath a bundle of blankets, slowly, a mass of green-haired emerged, revealing a pair of frightened, but familiar, emerald eyes.

He didn't speak. But he didn't have to. This was their Izuku.

Despite the fear in his eyes, a rush of relief washed over Todoroki as he finally saw - with his own eyes - an alive and moving Midoriya.

"Hello," Yaoyorozu said slowly, but kindly. She knelt down to accompany her soft tone, and shot Todoroki a strong look when he awkward remained standing. It clicked what she wanted him to do, and he joined her in her rather 'submissive' posture. It made sense, Todoroki realized. Midoriya had been relying totally on instincts from what Kaminari and Jirou had said... taking that into consideration, it made perfect sense why they were appealing to that fact.

Yaoyorozu was a very smart girl, Todoroki realized for what seemed like the umpteenth time.

"My name is Momo Yaoyorozu... but you can call me Momo." Her voice was still soft and delicate, a stark contrast from her commanding, but no less friendly voice she'd use when she needed to complete any vice presidential tasks for the class. Even her look was softer, as a tender smile touched her face, and cast a warm feeling from where she stood. Izuku hardly moved, but the fear in his eyes dimmed ever-so-slightly. "Can you tell me your name?"

A moment passed, and Todoroki wondered if Izuku even knew his name, let alone knew anything, but a raw voice broke the silence. "I-Izu... Izuku."

Yaoyorozu smiled widely. "Good! It's a pleasure to meet you, Izuku!"

Subtly, the taller girl (still kneeling) elbowed Todoroki in the ribs, and gestured with her eyes toward Izuku. While it wasn't clear what she wanted exactly, the half-hot, half-cold user figured she wanted him to introduce himself. He fumbled with his thoughts, awkwardly trying to figure out what to say to the barely responsive teen.

"My name is Shoto. Do... you remember me?"

Perhaps it wasn't the _best_ idea to ask if Izuku remembered him... but then, part of him yearned for the answer. He _needed_ to know if Midoriya remembered him or not... and while he wasn't exactly sure why that was, he just felt like it was important to him. Selfish, yes, but he still needed to know. And judging by the disapproving look that flashed across Yaoyorozu's face, it was clear she wanted to avoid that topic, if possible.

Even so, Midoriya's face scrunched up inside the blanket, and for a second, Todoroki wasn't sure if he was happy the small boy was thinking, or slightly disappointed it wasn't an immediate reaction. Finally, he spoke. "I... p-p-people tell me... I don't remember things..." Todoroki's heart fell ever-so-slightly. So he didn't remember him. Not that it was a surprise... but it was no less disappointing.

"I... see." Todoroki said lightly, trying to keep the emotions from his voice.

"B-but... y-y-you seem... familiar."

Both Yaoyorozu and Todoroki froze; digesting his words. _Familiar_?

Slowly, Izuku unwrapped his body from the thick burrito-like wrap he had done for himself, and gently, he untangled his body from the mess of blankets. Shoto tried to avoid wincing as he saw the scars that littered Izuku's once plain-looking skin. His arms, most notably, were disfigured on the surface, and the skin looked mangled with deep, ugly scars running up and down, some areas crudely healing, while others came together a little cleaner.

On his bicep, a dark purple zone of skin denoted where the IV was likely once fastened in, but also removed several times... perhaps by accident, perhaps on purpose. Even with Recovery Girl's healing, there was a very high chance that Midoriya was going to have permanent scarring, likely a result of overusing his quirk. His legs, while mostly covered by his gown, also had some scarring, although it was much fainter and less pronounced.

"I... you... _who_ are you...?"

It was the most whole, complete sentence they'd heard Midoriya say yet. No stuttering, no shaking in his voice, no _fear_... just genuine curiosity.

"Like I said, my name is Shoto. We... we fought, once. In a festival."

Thankfully, it seemed like saying they'd fought didn't drive the smaller boy into a fear-filled frenzy, as he remained in his bed, his eyes looking down as he was lost deep in concentration, trying to recall the elusive memory that was on the tip of his outstretched finger tips. But a frown creased itself into his face and he shook his head with frustration. "I... still can't... r-remember."

"It's okay." Shoto said. "I do."

Midoriya looked up, and a childlike look of curiosity began to shine in his eyes. "D-did... I do good?"

"You did fantastic," Yaoyorozu said, stepping in place of Todoroki. She gave the duo a slight smile, obviously a change of emotion from her thoughts earlier, concerning Todoroki's random question. "You were one of the strongest at the festival, actually."

"R-really...?"

He was so earnest that it made Todoroki feel like he was talking to a young child. He couldn't avoid smiling as the injured boy's eyes lit up with excitement. An idea occurred to the half-hot, half-cold user. He wasn't sure how it was going to be received, but truthfully, he didn't particularly care what others thought - he and Midoriya had formed a friendship through battle... and he knew the green-haired boy appreciated that bond the same that he did.

"Would you like to hear about it?"

The look on Midoriya's face was so bright, Todoroki wasn't sure if he could stand to look the teen in the face directly. He nodded and the nervous energy that had previously swarmed about his body had vanished, replaced with undying curiosity and childlike excitement. Even though Yaoyorozu looked slightly unsure, she still smiled, and nodded in approval, which Todoroki appreciated.

He knew this would help.

Gently, he folded his legs into a criss-cross, and thought back to the fight, pondering the most appropriate way to recount its tale. Finally, he settled on the beginning; his initial thoughts. "I was... anxious to fight you. You and I... we had a rivalry, heading into this fight, which... I pushed you into." Midoriya frowned ever-so-slightly, but remained curious, and didn't interrupt. "But mostly, I was excited. Your power is... breath-taking. In terms of raw power, you're the most capable person in Class A. And I knew I couldn't let you wield that power as freely as you wanted, if I was to have any chance of winning."

"I-I..." Midoriya interrupted, slowly thinking aloud. "I'm that... s-strong?"

"You're _very_ strong," Todoroki said. "And when we started our fight, you were the first person to last past my initial attack. I had to think on my toes to avoid being pushed out of the arena. But even as you reached your limit... you did something that impressed and... surprised me." He wouldn't admit out loud that he was _scared_.

He hadn't yet admitted that to anyone but his mother. He had a reputation... he had pride, even though he tried his best to ignore those traits. His father was the one who cared about those trivial things... he did not. But even so, he avoided saying he feared anything. It was taboo for him; and yet, when he visited his mother and spoke of the fight... he admitted to her, quietly, that he was _afraid_.

The damage he watched Midoriya inflict upon himself - _willingly -_ was terrifying to watch, let alone fight again. When Midoriya had used his already broken fingers to launch another attack... Todoroki had no idea who he was fighting anymore. The once jovial, hero enthusiast was gone, and replaced with a desperate man who would stop at nothing to get what he wanted.

It felt like he was face-to-face with a madman.

"You surpassed your limitations, and kept going, far beyond your limit."

Yaoyorozu flinched as she recalled the memories in her brain, and Todoroki hoped she'd caught onto how he was avoiding the topic of self-injury. He wasn't exactly sure how the topic would settle with the skittish teenager they were currently entrusted to.

Midoriya fiddled with the ends of his blanket, knuckling the fabric and clutching it tightly in his hands, glancing downward with a forlorn expression clearly on his face. "I... I-I'm scared of my power."

"Why are you scared?" Yaoyorozu asked gently. To Todoroki, she sounded like a mother asking a child why they were scared of the dark. She made a motion to move forward, and Midoriya flinched, folding himself back into a ball, halting her progress, but slowly, he opened up his body, looking uncertain. "M-may... I?"

Despite his uncertainty, he nodded, and slowly, Yaoyorozu walked over to the bed, before taking a seat next to the young teenager. Their size difference was only enhanced by his reserved posture, but Todoroki smiled inwardly at the progress they'd had thus far. It was almost remarkable how far they'd already come in such a short time.

Todoroki stood up, but Midoriya's green eyes were round and staring up at the tall girl next to him. Unlike the way he looked at Uraraka (which Todoroki had noticed in the past, but had never cared about up until now), the way he was staring at Yaoyorozu was something akin to respect and awe, like he was meeting his favorite hero for the first time.

"You said you were scared?" She was obviously trying to avoid prodding too much, but it was clear she was seeking an answer, and knowing her, she wouldn't rest until she got said answer. The only perk was that Midoriya obviously had no idea of this.

He nodded once, his gaze falling into his lap where his hands were folded neatly, but tightly, as if he were cradling his heart within his hands, and he didn't want anyone to hurt him. "I-I hurt myself. And o-others." Todoroki was going to try to reassure him, but it was the tightening of Midoriya's hands that caused him to hesitate and hear out the boy all the way. "A-and... people... t-took me..."

A tear slipped from Midoriya's eye, before he clenched his eyes shut. Just like that, it was clear: they couldn't go any further.

Yaoyorozu looked at Todoroki with panicked uncertainty, which the boy just met with a typically blank look, before he gestured toward Midoriya with his head, and made a hugging gesture. The girl looked surprised - and slightly embarrassed - but she opened her arms and delicately wrapped them around the shaking boy. He froze like a deer in headlights, but after a moment of adjustment, he leaned into her, and resumed his silent crying.

Two pairs of hearts ached; and Todoroki felt his rage spike as he thought about the people that made his friend like this. Did they even know what they'd done to the poor child? Did they even care? What _exactly_ was their whole goal in breaking this teenager into a fractured image of the person he once was? Most importantly... did he even want to be a hero anymore?

The question was legitimately the only question that nobody had the courage to ask, because nobody was certain that they wanted the answer. For the few that managed to do it, heroes that were kidnapped, and eventually escaped, ended up retiring due to the associated risks. PTSD, along with other mental conditions, ended up plaguing them for the rest of their lives, and it went on to affect their hero work. Sleep deprivation was already associated with being a top-tier hero, partially due to the long and strenuous hours, but also thanks to the second-guessing and hindsight that crept up on a person in their most vulnerable hour.

Heroes that had added problems, such as combat-related PTSD, or another type of mental disability, would regard themselves as a liability in the field, and after only one or two failures, they'd retire in an effort to avoid "hurting anyone else", as they'd say.

Midoriya was no exception to this population. Even if he recovered... there was no guarantee he'd return to heroics.

All Todoroki could do was watch as his broken friend cried into the arms of a girl who was hurting just looking at him. Her gaze, as she looked up at Todoroki, was no less watery than the boy crying currently, and that was the moment that Todoroki realized the truth behind everything.

 _This was going to be as hard for the class as it was for Midoriya._

If they couldn't bear watching their friend cry and suffer... they were never going to be cut out for heroism. If they couldn't do this...

What could they do?


	7. Kaminari

_I don't have a terrible amount to say about this chapter, just that there's a lot of fallout left to be dealt with._

 _Enjoy! And, as always, sorry for the upload speed, I still haven't gotten free of life! It's not a long chapter but it's... yeahhh..._

* * *

Setbacks were inevitable. In any circumstance that relied on timing, recovery, and most importantly, rest, there were bound to be moments of unfortunate setback. Sometimes, the emotional strain was too much, and it crippled the recovery time, having the entire plan fold in on itself like a cardboard fort in the rain, standing only as long as it could bear the torrential downpour. Other times, there was a mistake made. It could've been avoidable, but only in hindsight.

"A-are you sure this is a good idea...?"

It wasn't that Kaminari didn't _want_ to see his green-haired friend. If nothing else, there was almost nothing more that he wanted in the world. He wanted to see how he was coping. How he was recovering. He _needed_ to see that Midoriya was as alive as everyone said he was.

But he was scared, too.

"C'mon, just take it slowly." Jirou's encouragements did little to quell the nerves that ran through his body like the electricity he could discharge at a moment's notice. The same electricity he used to put Midoriya down. He grimaced, though Jirou was unaware. "You don't need to rush in and smother him. Just, start with seeing him. Then work from there."

Recovery Girl's office was a rather open, and unfamiliar space, Kaminari thought to himself. He'd only been to the office once or twice, and only as a result of his quirk's drawback. He'd avoided any serious injuries, thanks to his ability to force opponents to keep their distance, lest they desire a tingling sensation throughout their entire body. Lately, he'd been unable to muster up the courage to use the normal full-powered blasts he put on display, and Aizawa had taken notice.

 _"If you're not going to give it your all in these exercises, you're wasting everyone's time - including your own. If you're that scared of using your quirk... go see Midoriya. And take Jirou with you."_

He tried not to clench his fist. He wasn't scared. That was preposterous. He was Denki Kaminari, a prospective hero! He'd survived the encounter with the villains as the USJ, and sustained only a minor injury, despite being held captive. He'd taken out several villains without rendering himself totally incapable, and he'd saved Yaoyorozu and Jirou with a large-scale attack. He had been strong.

He wasn't scared. He was terrified.

What separated Midoriya from those random grunts was precisely in the name. He knew Midoriya. He interacted daily with Midoriya. They talked, they laughed, they studied, they were classmates. They were _friends_. Those random thugs... he _didn't_ know them. They didn't have families that he knew of. They didn't have dreams at one point. They didn't have feelings. They were villains, which made them emotionless husks that served only to stand as a dangerous obstacle.

But that was wrong, wasn't it? He'd readily reflected on that since he'd injured Midoriya. They weren't just... _bodies_ that didn't matter. They _did_ have families, and at one point, they probably _did_ have dreams. They weren't men and women designed to be electrocuted with haphazardness, because they were more than just decoys. They might have been trying to kill him and his classmates, but that didn't mean he shouldn't have care when throwing his electricity around. One wrong move... and he could've ended someone's life. He didn't know if one of them had a pacemaker. He didn't know.

And that was the problem. He didn't know anymore.

"Denki...?" Jirou asked softly. He barely registered her hand on his shoulder. "Hey, look at me."

Slowly, against his own will, his head turned and his vision settled on Jirou's concerned face. Her eyes were full of emotion, much like they had been over the entire ordeal, since before Midoriya was even found. Her earjacks hung loosely, dangling lifelessly, a sign of her concern. "What's wrong?"

He sighed. He wanted to tell her, really, he did. But he just didn't know _how_. There was no easy way to come clean about his fears. Plus, so far, no one had acknowledged the difficult position he was in right now. Everyone simply chalked up his fear to hurting Midoriya, and while that was part of it, it wasn't the entire story. He had a dangerous quirk. He only now understood what it meant.

He settled for a white lie. He felt bad, but right now, he wasn't ready to talk about it, and the last thing he wanted was to be grilled at every corner, until he came clean. That wasn't the way he wanted to reveal anything.

"I'm just a bit, nervous, y'know? Last time I really saw him... he was just really messed up." Well, a partial lie. It was still true, but just not the primary reason.

Jirou sighed, and Kaminari couldn't tell if it was out of relief or exasperation. "It'll be okay. I'm a bit... nervous, too. But I think it'll be fine. Midoriya's a..." she paused, trying to find the words. "...well, he's a good kid. It'll be okay."

"Should we... wait for Recovery Girl?" Kaminari looked around the room, not finding any evidence that the elderly nurse had been in her office recently.

Jirou began spinning her jack in her fingers, looking around the room for something to distract her. While Kaminari would never say it aloud, he was certain one of the traits that the two shared was their lack of attention. He'd been diagnosed with A.D.D. at a young age, which caused his parents to sign him up for music lessons to help appease his deficit. Jirou had never mentioned anything about being tested, but she displayed a similar tendency as he did, and he thought about asking, but knew better.

Some questions were just off-limits.

"You can head in." The elderly voice came from the doorway, and both students turned to see Recovery Girl standing with an empty saline bag and what looked like a small jar of liquid. If Kaminari squinted, he could make out _'Lidocaine 1%'_ on the label, though he had no idea what that was used for. "I just stitched up a few of his small wounds that weren't healing well with my healing treatments. He's probably going to be a bit sleepy, but I'm sure he'll be happy to see you."

"Thank you, Recovery Girl," Jirou and Kaminari said in tandem, bowing at the end of their thanks. Slowly, they made their way into Midoriya's room, ignoring how dark it seemed to be. The destruction of the room has been cleaned up slightly, but remnants of the one-sided fight still remained, such as slight cracks on the wall and scuff marks on the tile floor. There were several broken lights, but thankfully, no glass on the floor.

Kaminari paused as he saw Midoriya's form stir in the bed. He was laying on his back and was shirtless, with the upper half of his body exposed. Admittedly, he looked _significantly_ better than he had initially. His skin, while still pale and scarred, was no longer cracked and bruised, although some fresh scars now lined his pectorals and obliques. He had one particularly nasty wound on the left part of his collarbone, running across toward his shoulder, red and jagged, it was held together by a collection of small black fibers - presumably the wound that Recovery Girl had been talking about.

His arms were no longer as disfigured as they'd initially been, but there were still sights of dark bruising on the surface on his skin, along with angry scars from overuse, which seemed that much more insidious. Bandages lined his wrist and hands, wrapped tightly against his delicate skin, and for a second, Kaminari feared that if the white wrappings were removed, the poor boy would disintegrate into ash.

He shook his head. He shouldn't be thinking like that. Midoriya was strong. He was fine. He was _alive_.

The room was quiet, and Kaminari had been writing a book, he would've described it as _deathly_ quiet. There were no noises from within; not even Midoriya soft breathing was audible enough to disrupt the deafening silence. The ECG that had been previously filling the room with subtle noises was now disconnected and sat lifelessly in the corner of the room, having served its purpose.

In this moment, the yellow-haired boy was glad he wasn't Jirou - the lack of noise would only be that much worse for someone with delicate hearing. Or would it be better, because she could hear subtle things that he couldn't? He didn't know; and frankly, he didn't care to focus on that. He just wanted to know what to say.

Fate spared him. Midoriya rustled in the sheets, and slowly, as if sensing the presence of foreigners in his room, he cracked an eye open and tilted his head to get a better view of the doorway. The second his emerald eye made contact with Kaminari's, both his eyes were wide open and he seemed to tense nervously. Not a good sign.

"W-who...?"

His voice was weak, quiet, and everything that made Kaminari's heart hurt. Midoriya never had a booming, strong voice, but he did put whatever he was feeling into his words, and this was no different. The injured boy was so _scared_ and that, in turn, scared Kaminari.

Jirou took the reigns, and the electrical-user silently thanked her for stepping in. "Do you recognize us?"

"Y-you're here to t-t-take me... a-aren't you?" It was barely above a whisper, but the words seemed so loud. He thought they were here to kidnap him. To _hurt_ him.

"T-take you?" Jirou was obviously confused, but the waver in her voice suggested she was getting nervous, too. This was already going off from their initial plan. If they even had a plan in the first place. "No... n-no, we're here to..."

Whatever it was that Jirou had to say, Midoriya wasn't interested, because he groaned - possibly out of pain, possibly out of defense - and raised his less injured arm. Thanks to the lack of an IV line, he was able to move it more than his other arm, but the speed he rose it with was slightly concerning, because it was _slow. He was so slow._

Kaminari hadn't forgotten Recovery Girl's mute concerns about Midoriya's arms. She hadn't meant for anyone else to hear her - it was just a journal log she was voicing aloud. But it was startling to learn about, and personally, he thought that everyone deserved to know.

He was losing the use of his arms - and she was concerned he'd already lost use of them.

"Y-you won't take me..." The weakness in his voice was masked by the fire in his eyes. Behind the fear, behind the pain... burned the same fire that everyone in Class 1-A had come to admire.

"P-please..." He hadn't even realized he'd said it. It was so... out-of-character for him. But before Kaminari realized he was speaking, he was practically on his knees, head down, _begging_. "Midoriya... I never..."

 _I never meant to hurt you._

"Kaminari..." Jirou whispered, but he paid her no heed. He sniffled - _had he been crying? -_ and raised his head again, to find that Midoriya's fist had lowered, and his determined expression had faded into a concerned look. He was confused, but who wouldn't be?

The words came tumbling from the yellow-haired boy's mouth before he could stop to consider them. "I'm s-sorry. When... when I first saw you, I didn't think about anything but trying to help you, and maybe... maybe I could've done something else but... you just looked so... _broken_."

For a moment, Kaminari actually forgot he was speaking to Midoriya. He forgot Jirou was right next to him. He just... he had so much weigh on his chest that he _needed_ to get off, and it seemed like fate had given him the perfect opportunity, even if there was nobody that could actually offer him advice.

"My mom warned me as a kid, y'know? My quirk can be dangerous, 'cause not everyone can handle electricity like I can. I never hurt anyone before, n-not like that. It never really sunk in that... I could _do_ that."

"Wh-what are you going on about...?" Jirou asked quietly.

Kaminari winced. He'd never told her. He hadn't told _anyone_.

"I... a-after we brought Midoriya back... and, remember, you left the room for a second to call your parents...?"

"Yeah?"

He took a breath in and slowly turned to face Jirou. She wasn't making this much easier, but then, she had no reason to. "W-well, I left the room, too, remember? It was... M-Midoriya had a seizure. They think my electricity might have accidentally triggered it. T-that's... that's why they think he might have had brain problems..."

"I thought it was because of the abuse...?" Jirou mumbled. He recognized the delay before she spoke - she didn't know what to say, and he didn't blame her. There wasn't a whole lot someone could say after hearing that. Denial? He'd already tried that. Consoling? Wouldn't do a lot.

He shuffled in place. They hadn't moved farther into the room yet, and his ADD was beginning to kick in. "It might have been. A factor, anyways. He was already somewhat... out of it when we found him, but... they don't know for certain. All we know is that he had a seizure after arriving... and that's why..."

"I... f-for... forgive you."

Kaminari froze. _Had he...?_

Slowly, he turned to look at Midoriya again, disbelief written all across his face. Midoriya was nervous, obviously. But... amidst the fear that still wrinkled his brow, there was a familiar look of understanding. There was a hint of the old Midoriya.

"I... I was hurt. Scared. Fighting. You h-had to. You didn't... do this."

"Who did?" Kaminari nearly hissed, but managed to bite his tongue and asked in a semi-calm voice.

Midoriya turned his head straight again, so that he was looking up at the roof, and he exhaled shakily, the memories practically present on his face. He was... remembering things, Kaminari realized.

"Men. I... I-I don't remember names. B-but they... took me because..." His face scrunched up as he struggled to remember. Jirou reached forward and looked like she was going to speak, but she was cut off as Midoriya groaned painfully, but continued speaking. "Quirk. Strong. They wanted... t-they wanted..."

Thin red lines began working their way across Midoriya's body, and his muscles tensed up in response, at the same time as a pressure began building in the room. Midoriya's eyes clenched shut as he began to quiver in place, his jaw locking as his shaking worsened. Sweat began to bead on his forehead and dampen the gown he wore, all as a faint white electricity began to dance around his body.

Kaminari's eyes widened. "H-he's having another seizure!"

From behind them, Recovery Girl came darting in with surprising speed for someone that needed a cane to move around, and she was already pressing on what appeared to be a pager - supposedly for All Might, or Aizawa. She turned to the two children, her expression as stoic as ever, despite the arising crisis. "You two need to leave, it's not safe!"

"B-but he-"

"No buts! It's dangerous!"

"THEY WANTED ME! MEDICINE! DRUGS! THEY WANTED ME STRONGER! THEY KILLED MY MOTHER BECAUSE I WOULDN'T-"

Whatever else he had to say was lost as he began to shake uncontrollably, trembling restlessly in place as Recovery Girl quickly pushed a syringe filled with a clear liquid into his line, and Jirou hastily pulled Kaminari from the room. Tears were plainly obvious in her eyes, but he was numb. Too numb. It didn't register that she wrapped herself around him, burying her head into his shoulder.

He felt like he'd overused his quirk and was barely in control as he stood there, in the hallway, blanking staring forward as a few teachers rushed into the room behind them. He didn't notice someone come to take the duo away from the room, muttering quiet reassurances as they feebly tried to console the two spectators. He didn't notice when he was being taken home. He didn't notice that Jirou refused to leave.

The only thing he noticed was the delicate breathing from the girl next to him as he laid on his bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking to himself...

 _'This is all my fault.'_


	8. Iida

**2018 is the year of updates for me! I know; it's shocking. If you want something really shocking, try this: typically, I write the chapter, review the chapter, then submit it. I never have extra chapters written, because I'm swamped by school, work and hockey. But! I actually have been writing extras, and now, I have the next TWO chapters of United We Stand, Divided We Fall, as well as the next one chapter(s) for Lifetime of Apologies, this, and Attraction of Small Things, so I guess you guys don't need to worry about me going AWOL for several months.**

 **That being said, there's only a few chapters remaining of this story. It's hard to believe, since we haven't made much ground, but believably, we're almost there. This wasn't meant to be long, anyways, I think it was really just a project I wanted to write to see how to gauge other characters and how much I liked writing them. Surprisingly, I've found I really enjoy some rather obscure characters, so this is good!**

 **Find me on Tumblr if you want to chat (Scandinavian_Sensation) or want updates on my progress for chapters. Once I get a few followers, I'll probably start dropping updates and stuff, along with previews for future works, and chapter previews. And, y'know, it's free, so that's cool.**

 **Anyways; here's Iida's chapter, please enjoy! (I'm so sorry with how I ended this chapter :( )**

* * *

One week.

A total of one week had passed since Midoriya's seizure, and while the teachers tried to keep a lid on the information, somehow or another, the information passed through Class 1-A like the flu, and before even a day had passed, everyone knew.

Iida wasn't surprised - as much as he would have liked the information to stay privy to those that needed to know (which, would include Midoriya's mother, and any concerning medical official), he knew that his classmates were tenacious. In Iida's opinion, it was that same tenacity that made them such capable students and bright prospective heroes - with the exception of Mineta's perverse tenacity when it came to more unholy acts.

This was one of those few times that he wished that desire would quell, just long enough for that information to be revealed in a prepared, and appropriate setting. Inko Midoriya deserved the knowledge first. Iida would be shameful to admit that he, too, was part of the group that was clamoring for an update on the green-haired boy's progress, so he knew he had very little room to talk.

Aizawa had made it perfectly clear that he had _no_ intention of divulging into gossip, and insisted if anyone wanted to know more about Midoriya's progress, they'd need to shed the childish act and confront Inko personally for a status-update. Which, nobody had the gall to do.

And now, Iida was left trudging through the school grounds, trying aimlessly to clear his head as he embarked toward the lockers, hoping maybe, in another month, he wouldn't have to deal with his brother's retirement and his best friend's injuries. It was all too much - when he'd been accepted at U.A., he hadn't thought any of this possible. He was atop of the world with joy. Now...

Now he was barely treading the rising waters.

A rough shoulder interrupted his thoughts, and as he staggered slightly, he used his index finger to press his glasses back to his face, before issuing his standard apology. "My apologies; I was wrapped up in tho-"

"Can it, Four-Eyes."

Bakugou.

Iida exhaled through his nose, his gaze turning stern. "Come now, that hardly seems like the appropriate response to an apology."

The troubled student paused in his step, but didn't turn around. With his backpack casually slung over one shoulder, his sagging pants, and his careless, arrogant attitude, it was no surprise that he didn't care for well-meant apologies. The amount of actual interaction the duo had shared were... beyond limited, at best. The only times Iida actually spoke to Bakugou were typically riddled with scoldings for the blonde boy's disrespectful actions.

"I didn't fucking ask for one, did I?" Bakugou snarled in response.

"I didn't realize you were inclined to ask for them, nowadays."

"Yeah, well, I don't fucking want it." With that, Bakugou roughly readjusted his backpack, and continued walking. Iida sighed; _he must be worried_ , he reasoned. _Even if he doesn't like Midoriya... or that he appears not to, a small part of him must still be worried._

"He'll be okay."

Bakugou froze again, but this time, he shifted his head just enough so that he could make eye-contact. The dark red orbs that belonged solely to Katsuki Bakugou glared directly into Iida's, but the tall boy refused to be swayed by the anger that swirled within his classmate's eye. He hadn't said it to be rude - he was simply comforting someone who appeared to need it.

"What'd you say?" He asked simply. His voice was low, as if... _daring_.

Iida didn't pay any mind. "I said, he'll be okay."

"Why the fuck would _I_ care if that fuckin' nerd isn't okay?"

The sun was beginning to descend in the sky, and for a second, the golden-orange glow cast a ray onto the explosion-user's face, and Iida thought he could see the barest hint of a tear formed in Bakugou's eyes. But when he blinked, the sign was gone, and he was left staring into unreadable red eyes.

"Are you saying you aren't his friend?"

Bakugou snarled. "I'm saying, mind your own fucking business, Four-Eyes! And quit fuckin' moping around!"

Iida was taken aback. "Are you saying I'm not allowed to feel sorrow for my injured classmate?"

"Pity ain't the fuckin' same as sorrow." Iida's eyes widened. Was he pitying his friend? He hadn't been aware of much of a difference - and since he hadn't seen Midoriya yet, it didn't seem like he was really pitying the poor boy. "Deku might be a weak fuck, but he ain't worth pitying over. All of you are fucking dragging along, crying your fucking eyes out... it's pathetic." He clenched his fists. "How can anyone wanna be a fucking hero, if you can't get over one person?"

As nasty as it was, Bakugou had a point. From the day his brother had been injured - and leading up to today - Iida had been so focused on trying to reverse the effects of everything, he had barely bothered trying to keep ahead of his own life. It wasn't a rude gesture to put someone's life in front of his, but to keep it there... was beginning to impact his life in a negative way.

Midoriya, undoubtedly, would be worried for him if their roles were switched. But, Bakugou's coarse words made him wonder... would Midoriya fail to keep advancing in the meantime? He'd be sad, that was only natural. He'd be the first to try and help. He'd be the first to visit. But he'd do everything in a way that kept him from falling behind.

That was their difference.

Sensing that his point was adequately accepted, Bakugou snorted and turned back toward the path he'd initially been walking. He didn't say anything else - and frankly, Iida didn't mind. He just let the blonde-haired teen walk away.

 _Had he really been pitying him all this time?_

Iida thought the world of his green-haired friend. The diminutive boy wasn't anything special at a glance; he wasn't excessively tall, nor did his body suggest that he held immense strength as he'd display so many times. His personality was (unfortunately) forgettable, and he seemed to... blend in with the background like it was second-nature. Really, he did everything he could to blend in, instead of stand out.

Yet, he was the first one to notice the discord between Todoroki and Endeavor. And when it came to the combat round of the Sports Festival, he'd stood out (in Iida's opinion) the most of anyone. His loss was the only loss that screamed, ' _I won by my own standards._ ' His lack of swagger, pride, or even barest confidence was hardly a deterrent, and Iida respected it so much that he'd purposely positioned himself to face-off against his close friend.

When it came down to it... he'd been so afraid of standing in Midoriya's shadow, and at the end of the day, he was still submerged in it, because he didn't have what it took to emerge on his own accord. Midoriya was a natural hero, whether he tried or not.

He didn't deserve pity. He wouldn't _want_ pity.

"I-Iida?" A timid voice asked from behind the engine-quirked boy. He turned, surprised, and saw the chestnut-brown hair of his closest female friend, her hands gently clasped around the hem of her skirt, and her expression forlorn. _'Uraraka...'_ He thought, seeing the conflicted expression on her face. "He's not..."

She trailed off, unable to complete her sentence as tears began slipping through the cracks of her defenses, her expression turned more pained as her grip tightened. Her eyes went down, unable to hold the gaze they'd locked in, and she bit back something akin to a whimper. "He's not right!"

Iida blinked. "U-Uraraka..."

"J-just because we feel sad... it doesn't mean we're pitying Deku! He's... a great friend, a-and because of that, it's natural to feel sad!"

It _would_ come to this. A clash of ideals. On one hand, Bakugou's crass nature and volatile words were expected, but despite his arrogance and blindness toward Midoriya's actual friendship toward him, he was a teenager who was not blinded by much. He saw through ruses and his venomous words were meant to be truthful, if not eye-opening. Uraraka, on the other hand, was kind, and sweet. She had fire within, but she let her heart speak first, and because of that, she denied certain things that might wind up hurting her or someone else... but it was clear that she believed in what she felt, right now.

And for the sake of discovery... Iida couldn't figure out who was right.

"Terrible things... happened to him," Uraraka continued, her voice soft, the barest hints of a tremor slipped through her words. "I-I can't... imagine... what they did. We're not pitying him. H-he deserves to know that... we care!"

He did care. She cared. Everyone cared - even Bakugou, in his own temperamental way. It was because of that care that the blonde-haired teenager had stopped in to momentarily see Midoriya, even if he'd been asleep when the visit took place. It was a simple check - _are you alive?_ The answer was yes; so, in Bakugou's mind, all was normal. Everything was as it should be, even if Midoriya wasn't running around.

But for everyone else, it wasn't as simple as that. They _weren't_ sure if Midoriya would be running around again. They weren't sure if their starry-eyed classmate would be back in his chair, absent-mindedly doodling notes in one of his seemingly-infinite notebooks, turning red as someone called him out in jest at his obsessive tendencies. Because for everyone else...

 _They didn't know him._

And that was the difference.

"Uraraka... you are right." The girl sniffed, and gently shifted her gaze up, remnants of tears still glistening in her eyes. He had no doubt; she was right about what she felt and said. But... "But, so is he."

"W-what...?"

All this time, Bakugou hadn't been saying that their sorrow was pitiful - he'd been insulting their lack of faith. He'd called attention to their lack of belief that Midoriya was strong. As asinine and cruel as he could be toward their bushy-haired classmate... he, Bakugou, was the only one who actually _believed_ that Midoriya would be in class again, learning to be a hero alongside all of them.

"We, as Midoriya's friends, are lacking faith in his ability to come back from this. We're treating him like he's already dismissed from heroics... and that's not the case. He's strong - he'll be back." Iida took a step forward and, despite hesitation, placed a hand on Uraraka's shoulder, which brought the girl's gaze up to his eyes once more. "And we need to be strong for him. But also, believe in his strength."

"I-I believe in Deku!" Uraraka responded firmly. "I... always have..."

"I, too, believe in him..." He then gazed toward the U.A. building, and sighed. "But, we have not shown that belief. If I recall correctly... you and I are the only ones who had not yet seen him."

Uraraka winced, but remained silent.

The duo had spoken of it - multiple times, actually. They'd been sent to see him by Aizawa, but Recovery Girl hadn't allowed them entrance into his room at the time. It had obviously pained her to stop them, but she said that it wasn't the time for them to see him - yet. Internally, Iida had been relieved. He wasn't sure he could stand to see another person so close to him in such a damaged state.

His brother had been enough.

It might have been cowardice speaking, but at the same time, he knew he wasn't ready, and he had a suspicion that Recovery Girl knew, too.

"I'm... s-scared..." Uraraka whispered.

Iida's expression softened. Who wouldn't be scared?

He knew how much she looked up to their friend. Honestly, she was probably the only person that looked up to Midoriya more than he did - and that was saying something. He was somehow able to inspire their best in just his actions, drawing out the potential that they didn't even know they had. When things were heavy, it was his energy and determination that drew out that fire. The Sports Festival had shown his undying drive toward being a hero.

The number one hero... All Might...

The way Midoriya looked up to him was comical, in a way, but the more Iida paid attention, and hung out with Midoriya, the more he could see the similarities between the two, picked up by what was probably years of watching the greatest hero alive. It was no exaggeration when Iida admitted: Midoriya emitted the vibe of someone who, someday, could possibly be the top hero.

"I am, too," Iida said, just as quietly. "But we owe him this. He would be there for us."

There was no doubt about that. He would be.

"O-oka-"

An explosion, not like Bakugou's, ripped through the air, sending waves of debris and billowing smoke from an isolated section of U.A's main building. Iida and Uraraka both turned toward the source, and their instincts kicked in first, driving the duo to begin rushing toward the source, despite the heaviness of their previous conversation.

"W-what was that?!" Uraraka asked frantically as they weaved through a few startled students that had been lounging around the campus grounds. "You don't think...!"

Was it Midoriya? It was unlikely... but... the explosion had taken place around the same area as where he was being held.

"I don't know..." Iida said grimly. "But we must hurry!"

* * *

"And honestly, what in the right mind drove you to test something so dangerous without supervision!"

"Aw, this is nothing! I test _way_ more dangerous stuff than this thing all the time!"

"All the time?! Why I-"

Upon Iida and Uraraka's arrival to the scene, they'd expected a bit more... chaos.

There was smoke that hung loosely in the air, forcing Iida to cough a few times to clear his lungs from any of the ashen fumes, but aside from the scattered debris on the floor, there was relatively minimal supervising attention from the teachers. The strict, presidential part of Iida was screaming at him to remain on-guard and escort any students away that might wander to the area... but his concern for his friend outweighed this desires, and he found himself wading through the bits and pieces of concrete, plaster and glass to find a diminutive woman scolding a pink-haired girl.

Recovery Girl stopped mid-scold and turned to the two new students with anger clearly on her face. "And you two! What are you doing here - don't you know better than to investigate a blast area?!"

"W-we thought it was close to Midoriya's room, and needed to be sure everyone was alright!" Iida responded in haste. The elderly woman sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose, muttering something about _'heroes...'_ before giving a glare toward the sheepish looking girl she'd been scolding before.

"Everything is fine. _This_ headcase accidentally detonated one of her toys, and it self off a chain reaction. Really, she shouldn't be doing _anything_ without Power Loader's supervision, but apparently, she had approval from him to perform some minor tests." She growled. "I don't know what was minor about _this_ , but I'll be having a word with him about his negligence!"

The girl - whom Iida recognized as Mei Hatsume from the Support Course - didn't seem too bothered by the remarks, opting to pick up a piece of metal that had presumably gone flying from the explosion, and studied it while blinking her eyes rapidly. "Hmm... maybe that alloy wasn't suited to handle the heat dispersion, and that's why everything went _boom_!"

Before Recovery Girl could go on another tangent - and judging by the look on her face, she was about to - Iida quickly intervened, hoping to make sure the primary reason they'd arrived wasn't what they thought. "So... Midoriya is..."

"Yes, yes," Recovery Girl sighed with a wave of her hand. "He's fine. Startled, no doubt, and probably terrified, but he's okay."

"Thank goodness..." Uraraka sighed from behind Iida. He, too, was relieved. "We thought someone might have broken in..."

The elderly nurse shook her head. "Nobody is dumb enough to try and break through our defenses. After the League of Villains, we've stepped up security. No second-class villain will be getting through anytime soon." Despite the frustration she was feeling, a faint smile broke onto her face as she studied the two students in front of her. "You two care a lot, don't you?"

"O-of course! Midoriya is a valued member of our class!" She raised an eyebrow at Iida's words. "And... he is... a very good friend."

"The two of you are, too," she said softly. She sighed, releasing the anger she'd held up until this point, and began hobbling back toward her office. "Come; I think it's right for you two to see that he's okay."

"W-what about the wall...?" Uraraka asked.

"Oh; this sort of thing happens all the time. Really now, Ms. Hatsume is hardly the first demolition expert we've had walk our halls. By tomorrow, no one will even know this happened. Our tech robots really do work wonders. How else could we keep the maintenance up on all those testing grounds?"

Despite their uncertainty - paired with slight hesitation, thanks to the whole explosion ordeal - Uraraka and Iida tentatively followed the elderly nurse through the hallway, ignoring the frightened looks a few of the students had as they glanced down the hallway the trio had just come from. A few teachers had lazily emerged from the lounge to play crowd control, it seemed, and Iida felt a relief swoop down upon his instincts.

Nobody would be wandering where they weren't meant to, it seemed.

As they walked, Iida spared a passing glance at his female friend, trying to get a rough gauge on her feelings. She was biting her bottom lip and nervously switching between fidgeting with the hem of her skirt again, and clutching her backpack's straps like she was about to get sent blasting off into orbit by her quirk. Her eyes were everywhere except on the path in front of them, and for a second, Iida wondered if she was ready.

He banished those thoughts as fast as they came. Of course she was ready, he reasoned. They were in the top school for heroes; if she wasn't ready, she would have never made it through the entrance exam. She knew exactly what she'd been getting into from day one - at least, he hoped she did.

Just as he'd been doubting Midoriya's strength, he found himself doubting hers. He cursed silently. No more would he doubt anyone's strength. Everyone had a right to be in these halls - even Mineta.

Being nervous was natural, though. He, too, was beyond nervous. He didn't exactly know what awaited them at the end of the trek. Would Midoriya be a shell of his former self? Or would he recognize them immediately, a wide smile plastered on his face and relief washing through his eyes? Maybe it would be in the middle; vague recognition, but a general lack of cognition that prevented him from drawing the lines between the two.

Would he attack them? Would he fear them? Which was worse?

"Come, come, in here." In front of them was a small hallway with four doors, each one presumably leading to a different 'bedroom'. At the end of the hallway was the actual nursing station where Recovery Girl worked from, along with a few additional beds, for short term keeping. The amount of times Iida personally had been here was countable on a single hand, though he knew that the situation was slightly different for someone like Midoriya.

And, as much as he didn't like it, he knew training would eventually push him into Recovery Girl's room once or twice as he got older.

"He's room one. Just knock before entering." That was it? Just... knock?

Iida turned toward the small woman, and bowed. "Thank you. But... is there nothing else we need to know?"

"He won't bite - I know that much. He's doing rather well... you'll see." It was barely anything to go from, but judging by the smile on Recovery Girl's face, it was clear that there wasn't anything dangerous or disturbing awaiting them.

Iida took a breath in. He turned to his friend, who - despite her fear - nodded once with force, and they knocked twice, before slowly cracking the door open.

"Midoriya?"


	9. Bakugou

_He didn't care._

No matter what that four-eyed, overbearing, private-schooled _elitist_ said, he did not care.

He didn't care that people were sitting there, bawling their fucking eyes out like their dog had died, ignoring the fact that they were training to be _heroes_. He didn't care that the mood had become so fucking somber, practically a thick woolen blanket, threatening to suffocate him in the pitiful remorse that hung in the air like fog. And he _definitely_ didn't care about Deku.

He didn't.

Deku wasn't his problem. If the nerd wanted to get himself captured by a bunch of weak ass, wannabe villains, it wasn't _his_ problem. He had better things to do than patrol the fucking sidewalk that Deku decided to frolic on.

"Oi, Bakugou!" The blonde-haired teen kept walking. He'd acknowledge whoever said his voice; but only if they came up to him. He wasn't going to stop for anyone. From behind him, frantic footsteps grew louder as someone approached - the identity of whoever it was remained a mystery. He hadn't bothered to identify voices to names, and as such, he waited for some type of visual factor to help key him in.

A figure appeared to his left, panting slightly, but far from out of breath, adorning a wide smile as he slowly back down to a regular pace. He had two standout features. Red hair and sharp teeth. "You're heading to that café you always go to, right?"

"What's it to you, shitty hair?" His voice lacked venom, but it did carry some heat - a likely result from the encounter he'd had with Iida earlier.

The red-haired hardening user was hardly deterred, however, and just laughed off the remark like it was just a standard greeting between friends. "You wanna sit with us?" He cocked his thumb back, gesturing to the small, and vaguely familiar, group of students wearing the U.A. uniform. Fortunately, and unfortunately, he didn't quite recognize everyone - not that he cared, at least.

From the group, only the girl with raccoon eyes, the guy that had been frozen in the tournament, Flat Face, and the one that went stupid after he attacked were identifiable. The rest were beyond side-characters to him.

He snorted. "No."

With that, he entered the café he'd been walking to, and deftly took a seat at a table. He hadn't exactly become a regular, however, everyone at the waiter station knew exactly who he was because of his temper, and the table he had slipped into had somewhat become 'his table'. Close to the door so he could leave immediately, and it was also isolated. There was only one other booth that was next to it, so it kept him relatively far from any loud conversations that might end up annoying him.

He didn't bother looking over the menu - he knew _exactly_ what he was here for, and so did those that had seen him come in. Their curry was... good. Admirably, good, in fact. Paired with the drinks they had, it made for a weekly trip, and it gave him a breather before he went to the gym for weight-training. Plus, on particular days like today, he was able to release some of his anger through eating something spicy - and that _always_ made him feel a little better.

The door opened behind him - something he'd become ignorant to, thanks to his booth's position - but it was the arrival of his classmates that made him aware the door had even opened in the first place. Mostly because they sat down.

 _In his booth._

He blinked. "Did I fucking miss something?"

"You weren't gonna sit with us, so we decided to sit with you!" Kaminari said with a toothy grin.

Admittedly, it took some _serious_ balls to just sit down like they did. That didn't mean he respected it.

"This is _my_ table; get your own!" Bakugou barked in reply.

Kirishima, however, was not phased, and it seemed like the rest of the group was barely bothered, either - minus Kaminari, who was suddenly regretting opening his mouth. The red-haired teen simply shook his head and folded his arms with a disapproving look. "C'mon, you can't just isolate yourself. We're gonna be classmates for three years - you might as well get used to us."

"I don't need to get used to _shit_!"

"Well, it's a good thing we aren't shit," Sero muttered under his breath, eliciting a snort from Ashido.

Kirshima refused to settle, however. He didn't raise his voice - something that likely would've simply drawn out more of Bakugou's ire - but he didn't relent; a true testimony to his personality, as well as his quirk. "It's been a rough while; you don't have to welcome us with open arms, but everyone is suffering a little."

 _And, somehow, they were right back to Deku_. He didn't get it; he really didn't. What was everyone's obsession over the green-haired runt? Why did _everyone_ care so much about him and his fucking condition? He was hurt; big deal! If he really did have a quirk - and _that_ was an entirely separate issue - then why the fuck was someone able to beat him up so badly? It wasn't anyone else's problem. Deku lost a fight - several of them, in fact.

So why the fuck was everyone so worked up?

Heroes got kidnapped. It happened. Anyone naïve enough to believe that the life of a hero was glamorous and safe was _delusional_. Heroes fought - and they fought a _lot_. The best heroes were the ones who won - that was it. When you win fights, you make enemies, and you fight more. The best heroes keep winning, despite the strength of their opponent.

 _That's_ why Deku wouldn't be a good hero. Even before he got his shitty quirk. He wouldn't win the fights. He _could_ _n't_. He was a liability.

Just like he was now.

"I really hope Midoriya gets better soon..." Sero mumbled, the mood having shifted heavily with the mention of their injured classmate.

Ashido set her phone down, eyes turning downcast. "Yeah... class doesn't feel the same without him..."

Kaminari was silent, merely casting his gaze downward, and to his side, Jirou squeezed his bicep wordlessly - _Bakugou hadn't even heard her presence, to his surprise -_ before leaning into him carefully, like he might break. There was a bit of amusement in Ashido's gaze, but otherwise, no one reacted to her movement, and ultimately, Bakugou didn't care what anyone else did if it didn't affect him.

And before Bakugou could say anything about their intrusion - _and he had plenty to say -_ a waiter slipped over and quickly interrupted the blond-haired boy's strained response, jotting down his (and everyone else's) orders, before bounding away, like he wanted to be anywhere but at the table.

The conversation had shifted from there. While he didn't remember their names - _he swore to himself that he didn't_ \- he found themselves repeating the names outloud over and over, as if trying to send him a message. Ashido kept fooling around with the sugar packets on the table, and nonchalantly playing on her phone, snapping pictures every so often. He wasn't sure, but from the corner of his eye, he thought she snapped a picture of him with a snarky smile.

Honestly, he didn't care for their bland conversations, so he turned his gaze out the window, and dropped his jaw on his hand, using his elbow to prop himself up. A discontent look settled onto his face, judging by the reflection from the glass window, but he didn't care about that, either. Let people think what they thought - he was stronger than them, and if they knew better, they'd wait to formulate their thoughts.

"You were great during the Sports Festival!" Kirishima said to him. Lazily, Bakugou turned his eye toward the hardening teen and snorted lightly.

He was great, that was true. However...

"I didn't get to fight that half-and-half bastard at full strength. So for me, it was a loss."

It was true, too. The son of Endeavor had turned his nose to his power; he'd _shunned_ Bakugou's challenge... and obliged only one.

Deku.

"Hey shitty hair, answer something for me." The table went quiet, all attention rapidly shifting to Bakugou, who was now fully focused on Kirishima's surprised expression. "Why the fuck is everyone so preoccupied with Deku, huh?"

Kirishima's face twisted as confusion took over. "You mean because he's hurt or-"

"I mean because everyone's so fuckin' impressed all the time, even though he's barely getting by."

"Oh." Kirishima was silent. "I guess... because he kinda embodies what it means to be a hero."

"He doesn't win. _Didn't win_. He lost to that half-and-half bastard... and yet, that fucker decided to make _him_ his rival." His hands clenched. From the moment that Todoroki had issued the personal challenge to Midoriya, Bakugou had felt a sharp stab of rage rush through him every single time he looked at either one of them. He didn't get it - _he_ was stronger than Deku. He was faster. Smarter. He was in, every single conceivable way, a superior opponent.

Between their quirks, Deku's held power, but it lacked everything else - and it could only be used once. It wasn't versatile. _Correction. HE_ wasn't versatile. He couldn't use it like he could use his.

But, for some reason, that half-and-half bastard had gone _out of his way_ to deliver Deku a personal challenge... with a personal message attached. When it came time for their fight, those two had gone all-out. But then, the fight directly after, that fire-wielding prick hadn't given him the same curtesy.

That pissed him off. But it confused him, too, and _that_ pissed him off more.

"It isn't because of strength..." Ashido mumbled. Red eyes turned to lock with hers, but she didn't shudder, nor did she back down. "Midori is... yeah, he's strong, of course, but he also draws out your best. He makes you want to be better."

"And what, I don't?!"

Sero snorted, drawing another spike of rage to rush through Katsuki's body. The flat-faced teen decided to rectify his mistake. "I-it's not that you don't... you just, don't really... _inspire_ anyone. And... heroes... I mean, they kinda inspire people."

Just like that, the rage was gone.

 _"Heroes and villains are two sides of the same coin... I can see it in that glare of yours. So what is it that really makes someone a hero?"_

Best Jeanist's words echoed through his brain, numbing the boiling rage that had been building up the more Katsuki had thought about the situation from the Sports Festival. At the time, it hadn't meant a thing. It was just another perspective that, ultimately, the blonde-haired teen had chalked up to being misguided and _weak_. It was a waste of an internship. He hadn't learned _anything_ more about combat, and he hadn't even gotten an opportunity to fight a villain. The jean-wearing hero had wasted his time by preaching all about looks, demeanor and behavior - things that heroes didn't really need to concern themselves with.

That's what he'd thought.

But his mind kept coming back to the coin analogy. What in the fuck did the jean-wearing hero mean in the first place?

He would've been able to think about it more had Jirou's breathing not gone completely erratic. Kaminari, in an instant, was giving her space, but gently rubbing circles on the tops of her hands, whispering _something_ under his breath. With as curt as Bakugou could be, he also understood delicacy and the signs of anxiety - and clearly, this was a panic attack. He'd seen it a few times, whether he wanted to or not. His mother had made it clear that his abrasive attitude needed to be put on hold during these moments, otherwise he'd only make things worse. And heroes didn't make things worse.

There was a range of reactions, mostly shushed questions as Kaminari desperately tried to calm the panicking girl, but nobody actually had an idea of what was going on, until Jirou leaned forward and began whispering in frantic exhales, "t-those men..."

"W-what men?" Mina asked.

"Th-those men. Uniforms. Our uniforms. They know."

Kirishima looked around, failing to remain discreet, though at this point, Bakugou could tell he didn't particular care for stealth. He snorted; he could respect that. Answers first.

It wasn't until Jirou locked eyes with him, did Bakugou understand exactly what she meant. And when her terrified eyes met his, he felt his heart quicken just a tad, and the uncaring edge he'd worn thus far, weakened at her look. "The men who hurt Midoriya."

Then he heard it.

"You know, we wouldn't have to toil away if you hadn't let the kid go."

"Shut up...! Don't talk about it here."

"We lost out on our only dose, _and_ we lost the kid." The first man obviously didn't care about what his comrade was saying - he just wanted to gripe. He threw himself in the booth, bordering Bakugou's, and sighed as he flipped through the menu. He wasn't big, burly, or tough looking. He was average-sized, a bit unkempt, but definitely strange. Still; he blended in with anyone else.

His body language, however, gave something away. He was not a pleasant person. He was...

"I said shut up! Those U.A. kids will hear!" The second man hissed. He was even smaller - possibly just below average on height, and he was skinny. He sighed heavily, and the irritation that had colored his face, faded as he took a seat. "Look; it sucks, okay? We'll find another. Strength-enhancement quirks aren't _that_ hard to find.

It couldn't be.

There was no _fucking_ way. It was too coincidental. The world didn't work like that.

But yet, there they were. Two out of... an unknown number of men. Two that had obviously had a hand in capturing Deku. Two men that, somehow or another, had wound up in the same diner as other U.A. students. They, obviously, knew that they were next to U.A. students, because they'd commented on the uniforms, according to the hearing girl. But they also didn't care - at least, one of them didn't.

And here they were. Acting like nothing was wrong, minus the fact that their big break had escaped.

"You aren't involved, got it?" Was all Bakugou said to Kirishima, prompting a confused look from the red-haired teen. But before he could ask anything, Bakugou was climbing out of the booth, ignoring the protests from anyone he bumped into or squished as he clawed his way free (after all, it had been _his_ booth, not theirs) before he halted in a standing position.

Time seemed to slow. A waiter was walking with a platter of drinks, and, an idea formed in the explosive boy's head. He couldn't just attack the men - unfortunately, U.A. was rather strict, and the law was even more strict. Unauthorized use of quirks in a public setting was considered vigilantism, if used in combative measures. Otherwise, it was aggravated assault - and in either case, it was not a pretty court sentence. At the very least, U.A. would be breathing down his back. At the worst, he was facing immediate expulsion.

So... he just had to make it seem like a regular fight. Easy enough.

With just the right measure of strength, the blonde-haired teenager bumped into the waiter, sending the young man crashing into the table housing the two criminals, and dousing them in a flurry of liquid. The waiter immediately got to his feet and ushered out multiple apologies, but Bakugou had put the men directly where he wanted them. They snapped at the man, throwing profanities onto the table like it was their meal, clamoring about being soaked from head to toe.

"Hey! Would you shut up?! I'm trying to eat, not listen to a bunch of bitching!" Technically, he didn't even have to pretend - he _hated_ people that complained. And, for the record, he _was_ there to eat.

Still, it did the trick. The men, momentarily flabbergasted by the crude language displayed toward them, immediately got to their feet, and tried to look ominous as the sized up the singular U.A. student like a piece of meat. Bakugou was hardly affected; not only did the men lack size and strength, but they lacked any sort of mystery. They didn't give off waves of danger. They didn't emit power.

They were weak. And he'd show them just how weak they were.

"Well, well, tough guy, huh?" The short second grunt said, an excited look crossing his ugly face.

"Better sit down and shut up, before we sit you down, U.A. brat."

Bakugou sneered. "Fuck off; you two came in crying like a bunch of bitches. Boo-hoo, you got wet. Fucking crybabies."

The restaurant had gone silent; people paused mid-bite and began to watch with rapt fascination at the developing scene. Some parents were rearranging the table so that they were shielding their kids - other tables had their phones out, with their cameras set to record. It would only help Bakugou's case if they caught the verbal exchange - he wasn't serving out justice, in anyone's eyes. He was just putting down rabid _dogs_.

All he needed to do was wait for them to attack first. Then he'd put them in their place - on the ground.

"Wanna take this outside?" The taller man provoked.

"That's the first thing you've said that actually sounded smart," Bakugou retorted, a wild look in his eyes.

"Tell ya what," The short man said, a sickening grin on his face. He reached forward, slowly, and grabbed Bakugou's shoulder, his grin only growing as he dug his nails into the teenager's uniform. "If you can even muster the strength to go outside, then we'll oblige ya."

A sudden wave of pain struck the explosive-user like a tidal wave, almost throwing him to the ground. His arms felt like they were being shred from the inside. A strained grunt forcefully escaped Bakugou's mouth, despite his clenched jaw. He breathed furiously, trying to fight off the relentless waves of pain that surged through his arms. It reminded him of when he surpassed his quirk's limits.

"Like it...? My quirk is pretty simple. All I do is reproduce the sensation that occurs when you overexert your quirk. Simple... but effective."

"Hey." The man blinked, and turned his head to the side to meet the voice, only to be met with a rock-hard fist. Chaos immediately fell over the restaurant. People began to clamor, cheer and holler as Kirishima launched himself at the shorter man, a battle-cry filling the aisle, forcing the short man to let go, and release Bakugou from the pain he was feeling. His breath came rushing back as the pain ebbed away, and a feeling of rage sparked within the blonde boy's emotions.

 _How dare he...?_

"WHO THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!" Bakugou roared, reeling off an explosion into the chest of the larger man. He was sent sprawling backward, and just like that, Bakugou leapt on top of him, drilling him with several haymakers, egged on by the raucous chants of the crowd behind him. Faintly, he recognized they had _no idea_ why the fight was going on, but knowing they were on his side made him feel just a bit more eager to lay into the ugly-looking man.

He didn't particularly care if _anyone_ was on his side, in all honesty. The world could be against him, but who gave a shit? They weren't him - they didn't understand his reasons for doing what he did. The only things they saw was what he _let_ them see. Everything else was his own damn business, not theirs. And beating up these men?

It felt right. He wasn't doing this for Deku. He wasn't doing this for his classmates. He was doing this because these fuckers _earned_ this ass kicking.

To his right, Kirishima drilled the short man in the stomach, knocking the wind - and appetite - out of him, despite the man greedily grabbing his arm.

"W-what?" The man wheezed, releasing the hardened arm as Kirishima hit him again in the side.

"I don't have a drawback! My quirk's only drawback is my own will! If I don't get hard enough, that's my own problem!"

The fight was short-lived, if it could even be called a fight.

Kirishima was more than a match for the short man, and even if he hadn't been, the red-head doubted that Bakugou would take long with the other criminal. It was always entertaining to watch Bakugou in a fight - although, in cases like this, it was also a bit worrisome, considering the ferocious temper that the blonde-haired teen housed.

"WHAT IS GOING ON HERE?!"

There it was.

Death Arms, a hero that Bakugou was unwillingly familiar with, was standing in the lobby of the diner, arms folded and an unpleasant expression written all over his face. He wasn't known for being patient, let alone reasonable, though this was a side that, admittedly, Bakugou hadn't seen yet. His growl only accented his frustration, and the crowd quickly sorted back to their tables, unwilling to match the glare that the professional hero had leveled with anyone in his vicinity.

"Well? I don't have all day." The man said gruffly, staring directly at the hardened and explosive teens. Kirishima spared a quick glance at Bakugou, before he swallowed his fear and stood upright.

"I-it's my fault, sir!"

Death Arms raised an eyebrow, but didn't seem amused. He stood in judging silence, awaiting the young man's next words. Kirishima felt the weight of the man's stare, but refused to back down - Bakugou had, for all intensive purposes, stood up for his classmates. To return the favor was the least he could do.

"I... I fo-"

"I fought these guys."

"Oh?" Death Arms said lowly. "Your friend said otherwise."

"He doesn't know what he's talking about," Bakugou claimed idly. "These fuckers had it coming."

Dearth Arms snorted; it was clear that the muscular hero was mildly amused by the colorful language that he used, but it was also up to the hero's public image to be above such actions. He took a few steps forward, crudely muttering for the duo to relinquish their holds on their respective enemies, before he gruffly grabbed the two men and yanked them to their feet. His eyes widened - not at the bruising or injuries - but at the faces he was staring at.

"Well, well, well... it seems you two _accidentally_ apprehended some wanted thugs." The grin on Death Arm's face grew rapidly, and he pressed a button on his belt, which began flashing red repeatedly. He looked at the two men, who now seemed _very_ apprehensive, realizing they were probably in the wrong place, at the wrong time. "You guys have a pretty large bounty on your head, you know."

"N-no... th-that ain't us," the smaller man said shakily.

The other man seemed to agree. "Yeah, you must have us confused!"

Death Arms was not readily convinced. "Sure, but you're coming with me, anyways. Fighting with teenagers hardly seems like an appropriate pastime." He turned to Bakugou - _who could give less of a shit_ \- and Kirishima, and judged them silently, before... "You two. I'll be speaking with your principle. U.A. students ought to hold themselves to a higher standard in public."

Despite his scoldings, Bakugou spied out the grin in his word, and he snorted. Fucking softie...

As everyone sorted out of the restaurant, and Ashido comforted Kaminari and Jirou, Bakugou stuffed his hands in his pockets, and scowled toward the direction of the men as they were loaded into police cars, plenty of authorities watching their every move. He wasn't sure what their fate would be - nor was he particularly sure of his own - but it satisfied him to come out on top. Criminals had no place in his world.

"Hey, Bakugou?" He'd turn - _this time_ \- for his spiky haired classmate, because anyone who was willing to throw down for no reason, was okay in his book. "That was... pretty manly back there."

"Tch. Whatever." But Kirishima would smile all the same, and even Sero wore a grin. He didn't care - they could do whatever they wanted.

 _He didn't do it for anyone._

 _Despite what anyone said..._

 _He would be a hero._

* * *

 ** _Well that's another chapter. Short, again, but significantly less angst than normal. It's not much, but it's a bit of insight on Bakugou's view(s). Next is Uraraka's chapter, then... well, we'll see!_**

 ** _Response(s):_**

 ** _Guest: Sorry to leave you like that, but I felt it earned the dramatic end!_**

 **HephaestusBuilds: You know... I _might_ have been thinking that. I mean, it's been a hectic time for everyone, MAYBE something good should happen, hmm? Thanks for the review, have a great week!**

 **DevilTito : I'm pretty excited for their interactions with Izuku, but for now, this will just have to do.**

 **Guest : I dunno, cause sometimes, I'm evil.**

 **Dragon Courage: I'll try to be more fair in the future.**

 **inFamousSlyMonkey : Thank you! :)**

 **Sakura245: Wow, I feel terrible for the diversion then :( But next chapter, no lies!**

 **Guest : I'm glad I was able to help your thirst for more! And yeah, sometimes I try to get messages across faster, and other times, a bit slower. I'm glad they're able to be picked up on!**

 **LordAzrael1 : Thank you!**


	10. Uraraka

_Eleven days_.

One after another, each day passed, night and day, coming and going routinely, as if there was nothing wrong with the world. And to something as astral as the cycle of Earth's rotation, why would there by something wrong? There was nothing that threatened its rotation. Nothing that was waging war on the balance of the universe. Out of all the problems that existed, none of them threated the delicate balance that existed.

For that, Uraraka was grateful.

The constant shift from day to night kept her sane. As the sun rose, peaked, then slowly sank toward the horizon, the consistency became the _only_ regular occurrence in her life, and for that, she was grateful. Sure, each day brought new surprises, such as rain when it was supposed to be sunny, and sometimes she'd meet someone new on her transit to school, but for the most part, it was the same sight of the rising run that greeted her, and the blinking moon that bid her farewell.

After classes ended, she typically made a beeline for Midoriya's personal observation room, and there she'd spend the remainder of her day, idly doting on her homework, while Midoriya quietly became accustomed to her presence.

Admittedly, that hadn't been her intention.

Like she'd admitted to Iida, she had been afraid to confront her friend, in fear of what she'd find. It had taken Iida's presence and shame to drive her to visit him, and even then, she was barely able to stand the crushing silence that hung in the room when she'd entered. When she saw his green-hair, for a second, she felt like everything was okay. Then, the scars appeared, and the illusion disappeared, cut through like a knife through fog. It lingered, but didn't remain.

As expected, Midoriya didn't recognize her, nor Iida. She wasn't mad about that. She wasn't even as sad as she thought she'd been. It was hard to hear him ask her name, and even harder to introduce herself again, but it was expected. She should've known it was going to happen.

That didn't make it any easier.

After that little episode, she decided she was going to visit him.

Everyday.

And each day, she was greeted with the same Midoriya.

 _"W-who... are you?"_

She grit her teeth and forcibly smiled, ignoring the painful tugging that pulled at her heartstrings every time she answered. It was hard, but every time she shakily stated her name, she remembered the rumor that Midoriya didn't remember his mother, and _that_ was something that the young heroine couldn't even imagine. She didn't have a child, so she couldn't begin to try and imagine the feeling... but if she was taking a guess, then it was about ten times worse than each time she had to painfully introduce herself to him.

Once her name was out there, and he had muttered it a few times under his breath, they fell into a silence that wasn't quite comfortable, but wasn't awkward, either. It usually stemmed from Uraraka's fear in saying anything that might trigger an episode for the injured boy, though she knew part of it was also due to his paralyzing fear. But he hadn't tried to use his quirk yet, so that was a win, according to Recovery Girl.

Eleven days had passed since she'd begun visiting him, and very little had changed between the two of them, although that wasn't to say he wasn't improving immensely otherwise. Each healing session was like a little piece of the puzzle that he'd lacked the day before. His speech was slowly beginning to clear up, and while his fear lingered (an unfortunate instance of PTSD, from Recovery Girl's suspicion), he was beginning to stammer less each time he began speaking, and he also was beginning to move without pain. His speed was improving, as well, and his reflexes were almost as good as before the incident had occurred - which was a very convincing sign for everyone.

"Ah, hello again, dearie! I just finished up his latest healing session." Uraraka bowed slightly for the elderly nurse, and smiled as she readjusted the pack on her back. "I take it you want to sit with him?"

"Yes, ma'am." It had become their thing. She'd keep doing it... until he remembered. "That's okay, right?"

Recovery Girl nodded. "Of course. Just head in whenever you're ready."

Uraraka nodded and went up to the door, knocking once to give him a bit of a warning, before opening the door and walking inside. From the bed, a bundle of green-hair popped up, and despite the fatigue that plainly highlighted his features, a look of confusion crossed his face. Before he even spoke, Uraraka felt the familiar pain in her chest, and tried to resist the urge to cry right then.

 _He still didn't remember_.

"W-who... are you?"

 _You know me, Deku._ "My name is Uraraka Ochako! We're in the same class together."

His eyebrows furrowed, and like the ten days before this one, he frowned and sat up in bed, trying to piece together the missing pieces. "Class...?"

"Mm! We're in the heroics class together. At U.A."

 _You already know this._

But he didn't. He'd been broken, and he didn't know this anymore.

"W-we are?! I... U.A...?" Like each time before, a light filled his eye and he almost broke out into a massive grin, as if the words were a dream come true to him. According to Inko, they _were_. Each time he heard them, he reacted a little differently, but in the end, he always seemed elated, and it was the _only_ part of this whole ordeal that made Uraraka feel... happy.

Each time he got to experience that jubilation, the chestnut-haired girl thanked her lucky stars that she got to witness that pure emotion that she didn't get to see that often. Pride and Midoriya didn't go together; he was never satisfied. His classwork, his training, it didn't matter which. He was never satisfied with where he was, and because of that, he rarely took time to settle down. She wasn't sure if she'd ever seen him bask in his success before.

But that was the same attitude that inspired her own pursuit of greatness. Because of him, she found her own drive, and that was something she couldn't thank him for enough.

"Wow." He said quietly, before laying back in bed. He smiled, awestruck by the news, before he sat back up, confusion once again on his face. "Why don't I remember this?"

 _This was the hard part_.

She bit her bottom lip, and her hands began fumbling with her bangs - a nervous habit she had adopted in middle school. "You had an accident." She used to stumble through her words, stammering and whispering at the times where her confidence abandon her, or at the times where her memory took over, and the emotional time without him overwhelmed her explanation. During these times, he became concerned, and, ironically, tried to console her. But each time she told the story, the flutter in the words faded, and she became more accustomed to it.

Which scared her.

Wasn't that... wrong? Was it really okay that she was becoming _used_ to telling the story that involved one of her best friends beaten to a pulp and abused to the point of having emotional trauma and massive memory loss?

"Accident...?"

She nodded. His face contorted as he tried to recall the incident - and part of her hoped desperately that he recalled _something_ \- but like every time before it, he groaned and laid back, unable to recall even a single detail from the supposed accident. "I can't remember."

"I know," she said, keeping the emotion from her voice. She knew better than almost anyone. Only Inko knew that better, and that was because as soon as Uraraka left, Inko would come, and keep her son company throughout the night. Only his mother knew better, because his mother had to go through the same ordeal she did. "Don't strain yourself."

Each time, she gave him the same warning, which he'd blatantly ignore, but she knew better than to become annoyed with him when he tried anyways. She couldn't blame him, either. If their roles were reversed, she'd want to know, too.

"I'm sorry."

 _She knew that. She knew he was sorry. Every time they spoke... he was sorry. And yet... nothing changed._ _But it wasn't his fault._

"Don't b-"

"Are you okay?"

She hesitated. _Had he...?_

Up to this point, she'd glanced at him every so often, but for the most part, she'd found interest in other parts of the room, since he, too, was enraptured by other things - presumably since he was rather timid when it came to people, let alone girls. However, as soon as he'd interrupted her, she'd locked her face into her gaze, as her eyes subconsciously widened. He blinked nervously and looked away, but that didn't deter her.

"Am I... okay?" She repeated uncertainly. Maybe she'd just been imagining things?

He shuffled uncomfortably. "Y-yeah... you just looked... off."

This was new.

"You can tell that?" She asked hesitantly.

"I... yes?" It was more of a question, but it was still an answer, and she'd take it eagerly. "You don't look... y-you..." He trailed off weakly.

But the implications were there.

 _He remembered something._

"Deku...?"

Either he didn't hear her, or he was too wrapped up in thought to process her voice, because he didn't respond in any way that suggested he'd heard her. He stared downward, motionlessly, trying to figure out the feeling he was no doubt overcome by. "You... I don't... y-you don't look... l-like yourself...?"

 _'Let it come back to the boy naturally.'_ That had been Recovery Girl's warning. Forcing him to remember anything wouldn't help him in the long run. This was the first breakthrough that SHE'D witnessed. She hadn't yet attempted to ask his time before being found. Partially because she was afraid of causing an episode, but partially because she was _terrified_ of his answer, should he remember.

Honestly, at this exact moment, she had no idea what to say. She'd dreamt, night after night, about what she'd say if he remembered something, and how it would turn out. But yet, at this moment, she was completely stunned. "I... uh..."

Slowly, he reached forward, and stretched out his hand, before hesitating and withdrawing his fingers. "Sorry... I-I didn't mean to..."

"No!" He blinked, surprised by her ferocity, and she winced at the level of her voice. She cleared her throat. "N-no, it's okay, really. I appreciate it."

A silence descended over the duo, and for a moment, Uraraka felt like she had one of best friends back. Shyly, she glanced over at him, and it was difficult to tell he had even been missing in the first place. His arms were scarred, but they'd been scarred from the Sports Festival, in fairness. Otherwise, the sparkle that had glimmered in his emerald eyes was back, and the residual fatigue he'd been wearing in his posture had finally faded from sight. Honestly, he looked... _normal._ And that was the scary part, wasn't it?

He was still a long ways from being normal again.

He'd have nightmares most nights. He'd probably flinch at most physical contact. A tremor would overtake his body if he was left alone in places he wasn't familiar with. Who knew how his quirk would be affected as result of the drugs he'd been exposed to?

She couldn't take it. She had to know - she had to be there for him. Nobody had gotten much information from him, mostly because of the multiple seizures he'd suffered since being recovered.

"Do you remember anything?"

There was so much emotion in those words; so much _hope._ It was backed by days - no, _weeks_ \- of missing her best friend. Each day he wasn't in class, she felt her heart sink a little bit, although she never knew exactly why. Each day she walked home alone, with no one to talk to, she felt a lag in her step, though she couldn't put a reason to the weight on her chest. For every moment that he missed, she missed _him_.

Selfish desires be damned; she needed him back. He was the fire behind Class 1-A. He was their spirit. Their desire to improve. He was the catalyst to their equation - accelerating their growth in a way he'd probably never intended.

He was their Deku.

Midoriya laid back, a look of uncertainty flickering across his face, and he folded his hands over his abdomen, tightly clasping together as if he were afraid of letting go. "I have... d-dreams..." Uraraka remained silent; she didn't want to say anything and interrupt his recollections. Once he started speaking, he could become easily spooked, so it was important to remain quiet and let him go off, whilst still reminding him that she was listening. "S-sometimes... I-I don't know if they're real."

"What are they?" Her voice was barely above a whisper, yet it felt so much louder.

He closed his eyes tightly. Shakily, he took a breath in. "Of the times I was beaten."

A silence enveloped the room. Uraraka had no idea what to say. What _was_ there to say? Comfort words seemed... fake, if not hollow. Whatever she could offer him, he'd probably already heard from his mother, or he'd thought himself. Besides; he looked... at peace with everything, as absurd as it sounded. He definitely wasn't _comfortable_ with everything that had happened, but he didn't seem to be pretending like it hadn't happened. He was recovering. And he was okay with that.

"U-Uraraka?" He looked at her uneasily, sitting up once more. She locked eyes with him.

"Yes?" She responded softly.

"Is it true my mother is... alive?"

She blinked. It had completely slipped her mind that he'd been forcefully convinced that his mother had perished. With everything that had happened, it had been somewhat easy to forget some rather important tidbits that she was ashamed to admit that she'd forgotten. But now that she'd been reminded... she was stripped of her voice.

 _What did she say_? What _should_ she say? Should she be honest? There was no reason, in her mind, that she should lie, or deny the truth. There was no good that came from it - plus, she knew that Inko was coming to visit every night, spending hours convincing him that she was alive.

But was it better to avert the question? Was there a reason she shouldn't answer?

"W-what..." She swallowed thickly. "What makes you think she isn't?"

"Those men. They... when they were b-beating me... I-I think they were trying to draw out my power. My q-quirk." That made sense, Uraraka realized. Physical trauma was a means to catalyze a quirk, drawing out its untapped upper limits. Times of crisis; there was an entire theory that had been published by a graduate of U.A. involving how stress and adrenaline could force a quirk to temporarily exceed its limits. "B-But I... I didn't want to...!"

His shout caused the young girl to jump in place, surprised by his sudden emotion. His fists clenched, his mouth a thin line as memories rushed through his head, the events on replay like a home-made horror movie. "T-they wanted me to hurt innocent people... s-steal for them...! But..." Green eyes met brown. Defiance burned in his gaze. "I couldn't... I wouldn't!"

Then, his voice turned mute. "So... they hurt me. And then... they told me they killed my mom. T-they even brought in... e-evidence."

Uraraka felt her heart break when his voice cracked, a tear nearly slipping down her cheek as he recalled the horrific memories. Whatever evidence he was referring to, she knew she couldn't bare to know. It would actually break her.

And she knew she wasn't to blame, but she couldn't help the rush of guilt she felt, nor could she help from reaching forward and taking his scarred hand in hers. He looked surprised, and stiffened under her touch, but he didn't pull back, to which she was grateful.

"You're okay now..." She whispered. She hated how _weak_ her voice sounded, how the cracks littered each syllable, threatened to break apart her words, and with it, the crumbling façade she had up. He needed her to be strong. He needed her strength - not her weakness.

He sniffled. "Y-yeah... I a-am. Thanks to everyone."

The two teenagers sat in silence, relishing each other's company, as Uraraka gently ran her fingers across the top Midoriya's hand, through the valleys of his knuckles, and across each scar that decorated his skin. His calluses were hard, and there were a few areas that felt rough to the touch under her finger pads, but he didn't move, or flinch when she felt the skin turn hard, and so she kept moving. It made her happy that he didn't pull away - at least he was willing to let her in, if only a little.

Healing took time; Uraraka knew that. He would be out of bed soon, but he wouldn't be ready for combat-training for at least a few more weeks, while he dealt with the blowback from the overuse regarding his quirk. How he'd respond in class would determine how fit he was to resume regular activities with the rest of Class 1-A. In terms of the lessons, he was behind, but not overly so. He'd missed the internships, which he'd probably be able to make up during the summer break, and that had made up a relatively large portion of what he'd been out of commission for.

Once he was back up and running, she knew he'd be determine to catch up, willing to do whatever was necessary to make up the lost ground. But she'd have to keep an eye on him because of that, lest she want to discover he was overworking himself.

A sudden though popped into the gravity girl's mind, and as it appeared, she hesitated, before wrestling around with the question. It was no less personal than the question regarding what had happened... so maybe, he wouldn't mind...? Plus, it would only help his memory if he could recall everything.

On the downside, it wouldn't be good to overwhelm him... especially since he'd already answered a few difficult questions...

"I-is there something wrong?"

 _Shoot_. He must have read her facial expressions, she realized.

She sighed. "I, uh, I wanted to know... I-is it true you were drugged...?"

He blinked. Once. Twice. A third time. Then...

"O-oh, yeah, I guess so. I don't... really remember it. They gave me some sort of 'medicine', but I felt my quirk kinda go... haywire. The weird part was... I could control it, for a change. It was like, I had full control, and I didn't blow up any of my limbs. That's... t-that's actually how I escaped," he admitted softly, rubbing at the curve of his bicep.

 _That must have been where he was injected_ , Uraraka pondered. Her mind lingered on the site for a few seconds, before she processed what Midoriya had said, and she began to gape.

"W-wait, really?!" For some reason, she was... kind of excited. Control over his quirk was a huge step... and the drug had done it! Did that mean he had retained control...? "H-how did it feel?!"

Midoriya put a finger to his chin. "I don't... really remember." She felt her spirits fall. _How unfortunate..._ "But... the sensation... lingers. I can recall how it felt to control it... a-and, to be honest, I'm kind of scared to try it, but I think... it'll help."

A sudden vibration from her purse snapped the attention of both teenagers over to the source, before Uraraka groaned, knowing _exactly_ what that buzzing meant. She wanted to _scream_. She'd _finally_ gotten through to Deku, was talking to him like he was back to normal... and she was going to have to start all over tomorrow. She had to go home, otherwise she would have to walk through some rather dangerous areas... and while it seemed tempting, if it meant spending more time with him, she knew he wouldn't forgive himself if something happened to her.

Plus... a tiny part of her wondered if he'd remember anything.

He yawned, and she began feeling less guilty as fatigue spread across his face.

"I... I have to go now," Uraraka admitted quietly, looking down.

Midoriya blinked, and frowned. "Y-yeah, I figured... b-but it's okay, right? I mean... there's always next time you're here, r-right?"

Sadly, Uraraka smiled. "O-of course. I'll be back tomorrow..."

 _But you might not remember that._

"Then... I'll just w-wait for you, okay?"

This time, she smiled, and she couldn't help the joy that leaked into her grin. "Okay!"

And when she left to go home, she felt lighter than she had in _weeks_.

* * *

 _She'd return the next day, fear battling anxiously with hope, wringing her hands together as she slowly stepped into the confines of Recovery Girl's office, who shared a warm smile with her. The elderly nurse gave her a look that seemed unreadable, but smiled all-the-same, wordlessly sending her into the room._

 _And when she stepped in, for a second, she felt fear paralyze her mid-step as Midoriya looked at her, eyes foggy and distant, before a small smile cracked on his face._

 _"H-hey, Uraraka!"_

 _There wasn't enough willpower in her body to keep her from smothering him in a thick embrace, fat tears rolling down her cheeks as she buried her face in his shoulder, ignoring his yelp of surprise. Because for the first time since he'd gone missing all those days ago, he was_ really _back. He recognized her. He remembered her._

 _He was back._

 _Eleven_ _days passed._

 _And on the twelfth, he remembered everything._

* * *

 **So how do you like that? It was a difficult chapter to write, because I remembered all the patients I've encountered who suffered from dementia or Alzheimer's, and that honestly made it all the harder to write, knowing how their families felt each day. I decided to incorporate that in, and I know that's not really how amnesia works (trust me, I know) but I just bent it so that it fit the mold.**

 **Shower me with your hate if you must!**

 **Anyways, there's only one chapter left, and it'll wrap everything up with a bow-tie. I know you might be surprised, but this was only meant to be 10 chapters originally. So yeah, it's coming to its end!**

 **UPDATE! (1:37 AM on 4/19/18)**

 **I have come to the decision to continue the story PAST the next chapter. After re-reading, and reviewing everything that has been put forward, plus the urging from several dedicated readers, I've decided to continue with the plot in mind. There's a lot of healing left to go around, and there's some ends that haven't been tied, so instead of rushing it and doing a general ending, we'll be doing a handful more chapters! Hopefully this doesn't make anyone angry ;)**

 **Responses:**

StarFiction56: Well, those were the guys that actually took him, haha. There's an underground syndicate I alluded to, and the next chapter will kind of hit at that, but mostly, but it might not be overly satisfying. I was debating with a sequel, but I don't know if I want to do that or not, in all honesty. We'll see how the reception is, and maybe it'll happen. His memory was a result of blunt trauma, much like regular-based amnesia. That, too, will be explored a bit in the last chapter. Thanks for you support thus far!

CoffeyJoe: Oh boy, you're kinda pushing me to write that little thing, huh? Haha. I planned on mentioning it without going in-depth, so we'll see, maybe if enough people want it, it'll happen!

Ender the multiverse Detective: Thank you!

HephaestusBuilds: Writing that chapter was rather difficult, because he's not exactly the kind of person to focus extensively on Midoriya's injuries, but yet, they're there in the back of his mind, and he also DOES kind of care. He doesn't know that he does, nor does he THINK he does, so it's all about finding that reasoning of why the hell does he? Hopefully this chapter met your expectations!

inFamousSlyMonkey: I know it's a weak trope, but I honestly figured that was the best way of things happening, especially since I couldn't rationally explain how they'd find them in the midst of the city. Bakugou, especially, wouldn't go on a vigilant hunt for people he didn't know know existed, so it fit the story in the best way - and served the irony I love having. But going off that, I think Bakugou is exactly the type of person to lie!

Anc1enT: The original draft saw him doing just that, but it felt a bit odd, so I twisted it EVER so slightly to give him a 'reason'. Haha.

Son Akito: I really, REALLY played with the concept of Midoriya remembering Bakugou first, but somehow, I never came out with an outcome I actually liked. They all felt, weird, to me. Bakugou wouldn't regularly visit, and when he did, I couldn't see it being a long, drawn out process. Plus, I wanted Uraraka to feel some sort of pain in constantly going in, and I figured having him remember Bakugou would be a BIT too much pain for her. Plus, I don't think he cares about Izuku ;) (but maybe he does...?) But I'm glad you enjoy it!

Dragon Courage: All in a day's work! I'm not terribly fond of Bakugou, but I admire his character like any other, and I aim to try and keep everyone within their assumed personalities.

Ireland Scott of BROH: Oh my... oh my... GOODNESS!

Chopper911: I'm pleased to have met your appreciate! Thank you!

Evakyl Nibelilt: The amount of time between chapters is typically a result of me playing the scene out in my head, and thinking, 'can I see the characters saying and doing what I write'? And if the answer is yes, it passes. If not... it's an entire re-write, which can be several days of writing scrapped, haha. This chapter was one of those chapters, admittedly.


	11. Midoriya II

The healing process was a process marred by bumps, twists and turns, often taking several sharp detours that resulted in a variety of emotions, ranging from motivated to dismayed. The path wasn't clear and there were no lights that led the way, instead, relying on one's intuition and personal support group. Healing from a physical wound, as Midoriya had discovered, was challenging, but the only obstacle in his path was his patience. Muscles would regrow, bones would realign, and aches would - eventually - fade. Medication would mask the symptoms, until the day came in which the symptoms were just... gone.

Mental wounds were a completely different story.

Midoriya already knew how psychological injuries could scar the mind, having experienced various cuts to his self-confidence throughout his schooling career when he was younger - a result of his former quirklessness. The road to recovery was a long and arduous journey that left anyone walking it exhausted, on the verge of collapse, barely clinging to the illusion they'd sought after. Even after all the progress that had been made, Midoriya had only barely begun to feel improvements in himself, the shaky reality of his condition slipping into his daily activities like a thin coat of ice. Most days, he still had the lingering thoughts from his days in middle school, which weighed down on him like an anchor pulling him down to the darkened depths of his depression.

 _"My concern is that you could be suffering from a condition known as PTSD - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder."_

Recovery Girl's quirk really was amazing; the unbelievable things it could do, the life it could restore - it was honestly a miracle worker's quirk, even if she said otherwise. The drawback could be harsh, but it was fair trade for the injuries it could reverse. However, like every quirk that existed, it had limits - not that it made it any less remarkable. Though, it was limited to _physical_ wounds, unable to touch those that plagued the mind.

In other words; this was something that Midoriya had to do without her aid.

She, of course, offered herself as a psychiatrist, should he feel as if he needed it. While the school did offer those services, she also knew that he might not be comfortable sharing his story, and talking with someone he knew would be better for him, as opposed to subjecting himself to further scrutiny. Realistically, he knew that it was unlikely he'd be judged for his revelations, but one could never really be too sure when the plan came to fruition.

And, while he felt unworthy of all her attention, he promised he'd let her know if he had to talk to her, which he meant. He felt guilty - but he didn't feel ashamed. Time would be good for him, but at the very least, he knew he had someone to go to.

The first few days were difficult, as he knew they would be. His mother originally insisted he take a bit more time off class, however, his stubbornness ended up getting the best of him when he realized the gap between the rest of the class, and himself, was growing ever more prominent. At his insistence, he received the clearance from Recovery Girl, and just one week after regaining his memory, he was allowed back in class.

Everyone, expectedly, freaked out - in a good way. They swarmed him, smothering him in hugs and pats, despite his discomfort, until Iida predictably told everyone to scatter, and 'provide Midoriya with the proper, and necessary personal space', which he appreciated immensely.

He wouldn't admit it to anyone, but his breathing had quickened and the familiar rush of power that he'd come to know as One-For-All had begun tingling deep within his muscles, ready to activate should he accidentally lose control. And that was the first instance he realized - he wasn't as okay as he thought he was. Physically, he was intact, if not a little sore and achy.

But he wasn't as whole as he'd once been. And that scared him.

"Midoriya...?" Slowly - almost hesitantly - he turned to face... nothing. He blinked, unsure if he was just hearing things - a worrisome sign that he _might_ be going crazy. A giggle affirmed he wasn't hearing things, or by extension, losing the fragile remnants of his sanity. "Did you forget I'm invisible?"

There was a pause, before Hagakure seemed to realize what she'd implied. "I-I didn't mean... gah... I'm sorry!"

"W-what...? Oh, n-no! It's okay... s-sorry, I'm a bit distracted..."

The girl seemed relieved, sighing as she leaned forward. Though it was difficult to tell purely on her clothes alone, she seemed much more relaxed knowing she hadn't accidentally offended him.

"We could tell," Ojiro said from behind Midoriya, causing him to jump in his seat. _When had Orijo gotten there?_ He tried to ignore the tingling that danced along spine, the tensing of his muscles, as he replied.

"I-it's been a long day." He even added a weak laugh in, trying to diffuse his nerves a bit.

Hagakure and Ojiro both vocalized their agreement, discussing a few of the lessons they'd heard in class, lightly debating whether or not to do the homework due next week, with Midoriya feebly adding his opinion in. There were several moments, hanging in the air, where he opened his mouth to insert a thought, but something tugged at his heart and, very slowly, his mouth closed. Slowly, but surely, his weak smile broke down, fracturing altogether, as a quiet voice whispered in his ear.

 _'They don't care that you're here.'_

He blinked, eyes widening as the thought danced through his head. Quickly, he rubbed his eyes, playing the voice off as a result of his lack of sleep. The past few nights, he'd been rather restless, so perhaps it was just a side-effect...?

It seemed that neither party noticed, as they remained focused on their conversation, only pausing when Ojiro seemed slightly embarrassed about something Hagakure seemed to say. Otherwise, they gave no indication they knew what the injured boy was thinking. Honestly, he wasn't sure if he was bothered by that or not.

Suddenly, surprising himself, he spoke up.

"I just remember I..." He trailed off. What was he doing? He didn't have to do anything. It was lunch time, and there was nowhere he had to be; no obligations. But yet... "I-I have to see Recovery Girl for something." Both Ojiro and Hagakure seemed surprised at his sudden departure, but nodded in understanding (at least, Ojiro seemed to nod).

"See you later, Midoriya!" Hagakure said animatedly, while Ojiro just smiled softly and gave him a light wave.

With a wobbly smile, he nodded, and fumbled his belongings together, ignoring the stinging guilt that seemed to radiate throughout his chest as he walked away from his innocent-minded classmates, none the wiser. _Why did he feel like he had to get away?_ It was almost like he was a caged animal, trapped in the corner as people gawked, pointed and stared, no place to run. No place to hide.

He swore softly to himself, the foreign, acidic touch of the curse sizzling against his tongue. It wasn't common that he swore, especially considering the type of person he was, and those that he hung out with. He'd seen Mrs. Mitsuki punish her son enough times to warrant a well-placed slice of fear in his heart. That wasn't to say he never cursed, however. When the situation was enough, those crude words would find their way out, one way or another.

The wafting smell of lunch called to Midoriya, yet, his mouth didn't salivate like normal, nor did he feel particularly hungry. In fact, he felt somewhat... ill. A little nauseous, perhaps. Fleetingly, he glanced into the cafeteria, spying out several of his friends and classmates already forming the line for Lunch Rush's creations, but despite a part of his brain telling him to go with them...

Another part told him to stay away.

 _'They don't want to see you. They had all that time away from you, and were just fine. You'd only be breaking their rituals - their daily routine. It's better to stay away. They don't miss you.'_

Midoriya hesitated. One foot stopped mid-step as he stared at them. Uraraka. Iida. Kirishima. Tsuyu. Mineta. They were laughing; enjoying themselves. A low voice snuck back into his head, cackling softly as it whispered darkness in his head, filling his mind with insecurities. They didn't _really_ need him around. He would only be getting in their way. Squeezing into a place that maybe - just _maybe_ \- he didn't fit into anymore. Who wanted to care for a broken mess? A fractured kid who could break at any given moment?

How many times had Bakugou told him that when he was younger? He was, what, a Deku?

Slowly, he withdrew from his approach and began backtracking.

Things didn't change just because he assumed a quirk. He'd been captured - _taken_ _-_ causing them to worry incessantly about him. He'd been an inconvenience; ruining their day with the reality of what fate had befallen him. Their joy in his return was as much a weight off their backs as it was a relief to him. Now that he was back... it was back to their usual lives - but that was the problem, wasn't it? _He wasn't part of those rituals anymore_.

How long had he been gone, anyways? The days had been coming back to him painfully slow, like molasses dripping off a spoon, but he had yet to remember a true number. His mother, of course, had a number - one she'd probably memorized. Painful as it was, a part of Midoriya knew that his mother would never forget that number, either.

Someone - Sero, most likely - bumped into Midoriya's still body, ushering out an apology, though it fell on deaf ears. A stray bundle of tears prickled at his eyelids as he fumbled his way backward, ignoring the way that a few students looked at him with concern, before he turned in 180 degrees and averted his eyes. He didn't need One-For-All to escape the scene, opting to practically sprint from the cafeteria, tears falling freely, splashing toward the ground and dampening the trail he wove himself, bringing back faint memories of middle school.

Whether by intention or not, Midoriya found himself coming to a halt in the midst of a clearing, just beyond the entrance to U.A., but just within the towering gates that kept the students safe inside - and the rest of the world out. Several trees, mostly decorum, stood tall, and Midoriya found himself wandering toward a large bundle of trees that made up the garden of U.A.

It was difficult to discern whether or not anyone followed him, but at the present moment, he didn't particularly care - it wasn't as if anyone was _actively_ seeking him out. He'd made a scene, but thankfully, it wasn't witnessed by a large group of people.

 _'They won't follow you. After all... why would they want to?'_

"S-stop..." His whimper was weak, mellowed out by the tears that damped his voice. Whether he intended or not, his voice lacked anger - instead, sounding like a faint plea to someone standing above him, grinning maniacally upon his fragile body, ready to strike him again and again. A new wave of tears began to dribble helplessly from the boy's eyes, ignoring his attempts to stifle the flowing emotion.

He slowly stumbled 'deeper' into the garden, sniffling thickly as he tried to dab at his eyes in a vain effort to clear his eyes of any tears. The sun that bathed the campus became thinner, filtered out by the thick canopy of the trees, making it so that it weakly flittered across Midoriya's form. Taking a seat at the base of a tree, Midoriya sighed heavily, the last of his tears falling. He sniffled again, drying his eyes, knowing that his eyelids were probably glowing red from all the crying he'd done. His cheeks were certainly raw, and while he didn't have a mirror, he was sure that he looked pretty terrible.

The temperature was much cooler in the shade of the trees, as Midoriya noticed. Without the sun bearing down, it felt... comfortable in the shade. Almost serene.

"Are you alright?"

Midoriya yelped sharply, not expecting to hear a distinctly feminine voice. His body went rigid, his quirk subconsciously flooding through his muscles, but receding like a wave in the ocean, as it had nowhere to be directed. Quickly, Midoriya began looking around, trying desperately to calm his breathing.

Strangely... he found no one. Faintly, he wondered if, _maybe_ , the voices he was hearing in his head was a sign of his mental stability crumbling.

But then, the feminine voice returned. "Up here."

Following the voice to the source, Midoriya blinked in surprise, noticing a girl with iconically green vines as hair, sitting in the tree above him. Luck, as it seemed, had a funny way of revealing itself. The girl - whom Midoriya recognized as Ibara Shiozaki - appeared concerned, and using her vines, she slowly descended from her position high in the tree. "I'm sorry to have frightened you, that wasn't my intention, I promise."

"N-no, I... I'm sorry! I d-didn't mean to intrude!" Midoriya responded quickly.

Shiozaki came to a resting stop as her feet delicately touched the soil, the concern still radiating from her visage like sunlight. She gave Midoriya quick glance, studying his features - _slightly unnerving him, admittedly -_ before kneeling down so that she was eye-level with him. Staring into her eyes, Midoriya could see the multitude of emotions that shimmered within her black iris.

 _Concern. Curiosity. Sympathy._

"I truly apologize for any inconvenience I might have caused you by startling you," Shiozaki said sweetly. Somehow, she managed to sound so pure, making Midoriya feel _worse_ for being intimidated by her presence. "Had I known better, I would have reacted in a more appropriate manner."

"P-please!" She blinked and hesitated as Midoriya blurted out his thoughts. "D-don't worry! It's my fault!" He paused, realizing what he'd said. "W-what I mean is... I intruded on y-your lunch. This place... is obviously yours, a-and I carelessly barged in. If anyone should apologize... it should be me."

A soft smile crossed Shiozaki's face, and if possible, her aura brightened further. "Ah, I don't mind your arrival. Many people don't appreciate the gardens like I do, so if you feel comfortable here, I wish for your return. It's a place of solace, is it not?"

"I-it really is," Midoriya agreed immediately. "The breeze is so soft, a-and... it's a quiet place. I like it." He added as an after-thought.

"It pleases me to hear you say that."

"But..." Shiozaki's face turned sad. "Why is it that you appear to be in turmoil?"

"A-ah... t-that's..."

Part of him wanted to come clean. Honesty, after all, was always regarded as the best policy, and there was no reason that he had to _not_ confide in the sweet girl. She was willing to help - she was, of course, in the heroic department as well as he was, and she'd displayed kind-hearted tendencies from what Midoriya had observed during her time in the Sports Festival. Unlike some of Class 1-B, she didn't harbor a grudge, nor hard-feelings toward his class, and genuinely wanted to help - whether it be him, or someone else in need.

But... he frowned, biting his lip in the process. Was he really willing to drag _another_ person down? There'd been enough people affected by his careless kidnapping - there was no reason to bring another person into the complex maze of emotion that came with the truth. He'd hurt enough people... bothered enough people. He didn't need to afflict anyone else with his problems. It was his fault he'd been captured, and it was his fault that he'd lost his place amongst friends.

"Ah... I see now."

 _Shit!_ Midoriya's eyes widened. _Did I just... say everything...?_

"Please... may I share my thoughts with you...?" Shiozaki whispered.

Did he mind...? He'd already - unwittingly - revealed a lot to her...

"I... i-if... you'd like?"

She smiled softly. "Thank you." She folded her hands in her lap and bowed her head, averting her eyes from sight. "I... admit, I am unfamiliar with the various emotions you must be feeling. But, if I might be as bold as to suggest my thoughts... I'd share with you that you are no such burden. And that... what you're feeling is... normal."

Midoriya's eyes widened. _Normal...?_

"Understandably... you are frustrated. No... perhaps that's too strong a word. You are confused? Or, shall we say... apprehensive." She nodded suddenly, a look of fleeting satisfaction flashing across her face. "Yes, that's it. Apprehension. You must re-integrate into your life, and, while I do not know how long you were gone, it is an arduous process to reconnect with the things you were pulled so violently from."

A gentle sigh worked its way from the young girl's mouth as she peaked up from her position, the tenderness in her eyes appearing even softer as the sun caressed her caring gaze. Her hands remained folded in her lap as she spoke once more. "You are not a burden to those around you. I understand it's difficult to believe me, but, what is it you believe that makes you a burden?"

Midoriya was at a loss for words.

Then, the thoughts he held within came tumbling out. "I... I-I caused them to worry. And now that I'm back... w-where do I fit into everything? I feel like I'm _intruding_ on their lives."

He felt himself sniffling again, and wanted to curse his untamable emotions, but Shiozaki's peaceful hum interrupted any thoughts he had. "I could be mistaken but... you leaving them alone... is that not you kidnapping yourself?"

"I... wha...?"

"After all, they waited for your return, I'm sure. They've expressed their joy in your arrival. Truly, they simply wanted you back, safe from harm. But now, you are kidnapping yourself from them... because you are afraid." Midoriya opened his mouth - possibly to apologize for his selfish views, possibly to protest - but was shushed softly by Shiozaki.

"I'm not saying that you were selfish. You have every right to be apprehensive... to take your time returning. I believe that you might have rushed yourself, and you're trying to convince yourself that you're okay. It's alright to not be alright."

"I-is it though?" Midoriya asked weakly. His thoughts flashed back to middle school, back before he had the warm comfort of One-For-All, and All Might at his back. Had he really ever become okay? His smiles had become genuine - no longer forced - but that didn't mean he had come to peace with everything. In fact... he hadn't really put much thought into anything prior to All Might, as he'd become too caught up in assuming the role that All Might once held. Time was running out; the time to reflect on his bad days was saved for correcting any mistakes in training... not for crying about his pre-quirked days.

But that was wrong, wasn't it?

"I've been so blessed... s-so lucky... I don't want to take this time for granted, and waste the opportunity I've been gifted. I-If I wait, and I don't move forward... the gap will grow, between me and everyone else."

"If you're not okay, it will grow regardless."

The green-haired boy hesitated, contemplating Shiozaki's words carefully, analyzing her words closely as he replayed their conversation over in his head. She hadn't been _wrong_ about anything she'd said... that was the beauty of an opinion, after all... but even then, what she was saying was healthier. _Smarter_ , if he wanted to judge it.

His mental health... of course he cared about it, but at the end of the day, his appreciation for all of All Might's training and help had outweighed his desire to seek out help. He hadn't wanted to plague the number one hero with his problems, and by extension, convince the man that, maybe, he wasn't fit to assume the role of successor.

If All Might had decided to strip him of the power... it would devastate him. It would practically end his existence. Just thinking about it, Midoriya's hands clenched, gripping the fabric of his pants as he tried to banish the negative thoughts from his mind.

"Did I push myself again...?" He had a habit of doing that. Thinking back to All Might's training, when he had collapsed during a run, he'd realized that he was willing to go beyond his limit in an effort to make up the 'lost ground' he had developed. Somewhere along the line, he adopted the ideal that being behind was a permanent thing... and that wasn't the case.

Somehow, he'd emerge from the back. He'd done it once, blowing by everyone during the first event in the Sports Festival, and escaping the race with a gleaming first place next to his name.

"It's not my place to tell you whether or not you are pushing yourself," Shiozaki mused, snapping Midoriya from his thoughts. "However, I can tell you that we are all blessed - but that is no excuse to harm yourself. Your mental health is as important as your physical health. The brain is the most powerful tool at your disposal, have you heard that?"

"Y-yeah... there's an old story that a man once locked himself in a freezer during construction... and he froze to death later that night when he couldn't get out. In the morning, when his co-workers returned and opened the freezer, they were shocked... but they discovered that the freezer hadn't been working. He had convinced himself he was freezing to death."

Shiozaki nodded. "Exactly; that is the power of our thoughts. When they run rampant..."

"... they become unstable. And in instances of instability, we succumb to our demons."

Both Midoriya and Shiozaki turned to face a new, masculine voice, slowly drawing closer. Midoriya's eyes widened, recognizing the bird-like appearance of Tokoyami, his classmate strolling to the pair casually, as if he'd been there the whole time.

"T-T-Tokoyami...! H-h-how long...?"

The teen bowed his head. "A bit. I apologize for intruding; I became concerned for you when you left the cafeteria in a haste."

"O-oh... I'm sorry to have worried you..."

"You didn't tell me you fled your friends, too," Shiozaki commented idly. She didn't sound annoyed or disappointed, but nonetheless, Midoriya felt the slight coldness of guilt creep through his body as he bowed his head shamefully.

"W-well... I, yeah... I g-guess I did..."

"Nonsense." Tokoyami interjected swiftly. Midoriya looked up, surprised. "You were overwhelmed from the moment you arrived to class. Truly, our classmates did raise quite the ruckus, but even so, it was clear that you were uncomfortable merely being back on school grounds." Tokoyami glanced sideways toward Shiozaki, regarding her presence silently. "What she says is correct. Forcing yourself to show up is admirable, but not recommended. The ordeal you lived through... it will take time to truly move on from it."

"I can't..." Midoriya trailed off feebly.

"Fall behind? I daresay that if you have a breakdown, you'll fall farther behind than you would if you took the time to heal properly."

Shiozaki didn't precisely _glare_ at Tokoyami, however, she seemed slightly exasperated by his response. "While blunt... I suppose your friend is correct. We are all gifted individuals, with much to offer. Please don't lose that gift by unraveling yourself at the seems."

"Too... bright..." Tokoyami mumbled, averting his eyes as he grumbled.

Midoriya looked into his lap. His decision had been made in an effort to avoid disappointing anyone... but, in the end, he'd failed to take into consideration his own well-being. As noble as his intentions, he'd let his personal bias and obsession over filling All Might's expanding void, cloud his judgement. He sighed; being a hero... being _the_ hero... was hard work.

"I guess... I should go home, huh? But I can't just leave. We still have class." Almost half the day, causing Midoriya to feel a wave of dread wash over his body. Could he _really_ make it that long?

Tokoyami made a noise, something mixed between a sigh, a 'hmph', and a triumphant snort. "I have already spoken with Mr. Aizawa... he approves if you need to leave for mental counseling. Alternatively... I believe Recovery Girl is available, if you wish to have been honest with Ojiro and Hagakure."

"O-oh, you h-heard that, huh?"

Tokoyami smirked. "The darkness knows to blend into the background."

"There is light within us all, you know," Shiozaki countered gently, smiling as Tokoyami frowned, averting his eyes once more.

"Too... bright..."

Midoriya let the faintest of smiles touch his lips. The creeping cold sensation that had been surrounding his heart seemed a bit warmer, and for a few fleeting moments, he let himself simply bask in the moment. No expectations. No facade. No walls. Simple nothingness; an opening of his barriers to the world around him.

And as he walked to Recovery Girl's office with the intent on asking her for help, he found himself yearning for that peaceful sensation once more.

 _He wasn't okay. Not yet._

 _But he'd get there._

* * *

 _This is something I'm going to universally post on all my stories, so I apologize if it's repetitive, but I thank you for your patience in my absence. As I have previously mentioned, I work in an Emergency Department, so there are a lot of things I see daily. Death, injury, just a lot. Recently, there was a tragedy that occurred that I was involved in upon their arrival, and lest to say... it was a very traumatic experience. I can't delve into details, but I needed time away. Time away from writing, time away from everything. No expectations. No anything._

 _I know it doesn't suffice, but of course, we all need this time from day-to-day, and it took me a few weeks to truly feel like I was recovering. I can't promise that I'll get into a regular update period, but I'll try, and I'll be pouring my heart into each fic moving forward. So thank you for your patience._

 _Responses:_

MissAlexxis: Bring on the feel train, cause it's chugging!

Footsocks: And then gone again... sorry about that.

cyzja922: I have to say, I do know what you mean lol

Chopper911: I really appreciate the kind words. I'm not sure if I do anything differently, but I make sure I pour my emotions into whatever it is I'm writing. Sometimes, it affects the pace, but usually, it brings the emotions I feel with it. But I really do appreciate your kind words!

Maximum Ride12345: I'm glad to see new faces in the BNHA fandom! It's a great place, and I look forward to anything you might come out with!

GunsAndMagic: Well, it's been decided that it will persist longer! You're right that there's still plenty to cover, and honestly, I feel like a wrap-up chapter wound rush it. There's still plenty of healing to go around, and I want to focus on everyone - not just Midoriya. I've opened up a can of worms I can't abandon, and rightfully so!

I.N.S.H: I appreciate it!

Ireland Scott of BROH: Yasss.

Sergito: To be honest, I didn't want to focus on the teachers just yet. With the dozens of students they have, and the things they've seen, I don't know exactly how I want to portray them, though I plan on painting a picture of it soon.

inFamousSlyMonkey: Well don't drown; that's bad!

Anon: Haha, maybe, maybe not. Gotta time it all correctly.

mewtwo123: Thank you, I appreciate it!

Guest: So you ask, so it shall be.

HephaestusBuilds: In fairness, I was probably supposed to update two months ago, so I think we're even. I'm glad to hear you're enjoying everything - I'll seek to continue!

23: I appreciate the kindness; I aim to please!

Cleric of Nayru: One of the most interesting aspects of kidnapping stories isn't the threat of re-capture (hence why I didn't really focus on it) but instead, the coping mechanisms of everyone else. Kaminari, Uraraka, Bakugou, all of the others have their own thoughts and problems, and I'd like to highlight some of those thoughts in this story. So far, it's been good, and it keeps multiple arcs going on simultaneously.

Tes: The healing is going to by my (personal) favorite part.

cindermane: I could highlight all of your reviews, since they're all very well articulated, but I'd first like to simply thank you for your support and thoughts! I'll try to answer a few questions: first, the stuttering device. It's not my favorite thing to use, especially with how I've built Izuku, and I want to rid myself of it, but for now, I'm committed and must continue. The device of the eleventh hour is a stellar catch on your part; that is the angle I was going for. It's a concept I enjoyed upon my initial discovery of it, and it's a trope that is used here and there, but not often recognized. Honestly, that's a sign that you have a good eye, and I'm really impressed you caught it.

FighterGirl14: Thank you! I really enjoy analyzing everyone outside of the main protagonists, because they're all very capable and well thought-out characters.

The Rude Girl: So good question about how long. In truth, I don't have an exact number specified yet, but I might delve into that in the next few chapters as I have Midoriya recount his experiences stuck in the clutches of those villains.

MSPRIGGS: I appreciate your kindness; I seek to build everything up, and I'm glad to hear it's working.

unknown1234157: Haha, I actually love that pairing, much with many Deku/? pairings. The best part about the girls is that anyone can suffice in that role, and because of that, I don't delve into the shipping war. But I appreciate it! You could write it, I'm sure, the important thing to note is that Midoriya is timid, especially around someone like Yaoyorozu. And, likewise, she is innocent away from everyone, but doesn't exactly have the standard shyness you'd expect. She is inexperienced in many things, coming from a high-class family, but is very awkward in her own personal way. Put it together and... well, it's a recipe for something strange, but enticing. Haha.

SmolChichen : Thank you; he'll get through this!


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